Thai PM calls for urgent talks with Malaysia after shrimp import ban sparks concerns for farmers’ livelihoods
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has instructed his ministers to seek a bilateral trade solution with Malaysia.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul delivers his government’s policy statement to parliament in Bangkok, Thailand, on Apr 9, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha)
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KUALA LUMPUR: Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has called for immediate talks with Malaysia following its temporary import ban of five Thai shrimp species as part of tighter controls on Thai fishery products.
Anutin issued the directive in a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (Jun 2) and warned that prolonged restrictions could hurt the livelihoods of shrimp farmers, exporters and the wider seafood supply chain, said Thai government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek.
“If the issue is allowed to persist, it could affect farm-gate shrimp prices and the incomes of small-scale farmers,” she said in a statement after the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, quoted by Malaysian national news platform Bernama.
Ratchada added that Anutin had told various ministers in his Cabinet, including the commerce minister and agriculture and cooperatives minister, to hold urgent discussions with Malaysian authorities to seek a bilateral trade solution while protecting Thai farmers.
Thailand’s commerce minister is Suphajee Suthumpun, who is also serving as deputy prime minister, while the agriculture and cooperatives minister is Suriya Jungrungreangkit.
“The prime minister emphasised that this issue must not become a burden borne solely by farmers, as the shrimp industry supports an entire supply chain, including farms, collectors, processing plants, exporters and a large workforce,” she was quoted as saying by local news outlets.
Ratchada said that relevant agencies had been directed to cushion restriction impacts, including by stabilising farm-gate prices, managing any surplus domestic supply and accelerating efforts to secure alternative export markets.
The farm-gate price is the price that covers the producer’s costs and profit before exporting.
Thailand exports about 6,000 tonnes to 8,000 tonnes of shrimp to Malaysia each year, accounting for about 5 per cent of total Thai shrimp exports. The ban could cost Thailand over 4 billion baht (US$122.1 million) a year, reported Thai news outlet Bangkok Post.
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Malaysia is a convenient export market as Thai producers do not need to transport goods to its Central region – where trade is primarily handled and distributed – and Malaysia is able to absorb output from aquaculture and coastal fisheries, which are located in the south of Thailand.
The import ban, which came into effect on Monday, was first announced by Malaysia’s Agriculture and Food Ministry on May 16, a move described by Malaysia’s Office of Commercial Affairs as a trade response and an upgrade of national food safety standards.
The ban covers black tiger shrimp, whiteleg shrimp, banana shrimp, brown shrimp and blue shrimp, and includes enforcement of a laboratory-verified analysis certificate for seabass imports to prove compliance with local health ministry standards.
Malaysian authorities had said the ban was a reciprocal response to Thailand’s earlier restrictions on Malaysian fishery imports which started in March 2024, after Thailand’s fishery department detected residue concerns after inspections of imported Malaysian seabass, reported Thai news outlet Khaosod.
Sources at Songkhla’s Sadao customs checkpoint said that Malaysian seabass had not entered through the Sadao or Padang Besar border crossings – the two primary land crossings between Malaysia and Thailand – for several months after failing to gain approval from Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration, according to Khaosod.
Malaysian seabass exporters had also reportedly lamented about prolonged inspections at the Sadao border checkpoint in Songkhla, where clearance can take up to two days and affect product freshness, reported Bangkok Post.
Meanwhile, Thai domestic fish farmers had complained that cheaper imports from Malaysia were undercutting local producers, it further reported.
“The restriction on shrimp will remain in place until the Thai authorities submit a complete official response to the questions issued by Malaysia, and is subject to further evaluation by the Malaysian authorities based on the response,” Malaysia’s Agriculture and Food Ministry said in a statement on May 16 on the ban.
It added that measures aimed to ensure that seabass and shrimp imports complied with safety and quality standards.
Malaysia’s temporary ban sparked concerns among Thailand’s shrimp production sector, with the Thai Shrimp Association and the Thai Shrimp Farmers Alliance submitting a letter to Anutin to seek immediate help for shrimp farmers and coastal fishermen, reported Thai news outlet The Nation.
The groups had said the short notice between Malaysia’s announcement and the enforcement date could hurt Thai exporters’ revenues and dent business confidence, while also warning of domestic oversupply if farmers have to urgently divert shrimp to local markets.
Preecha Sukkasem, vice-president of the Thai Shrimp Association, said stricter inspections could affect farmers in southern provinces that export shrimp to Malaysia and Singapore, reported Bangkok Post.
Meanwhile, Songkhla senator Chaiyong Maneerungsakul called on the government to accelerate talks with Malaysia to prevent further losses, it reported.
“The prime minister, commerce ministry, department of fisheries and ministry of agriculture and cooperatives must work together to resolve this urgently,” he said, adding that he would raise the issue in parliament.
Source: Agencies/st(ao)
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