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The Commerce Ministry has requested China's Cofco Corporation import 500,000 tonnes of Thai rice, including 280,000 tonnes still pending under a government-to-government (G2G) agreement.

Arada Fuangtong, director-general of the Department of Foreign Trade (DFT), said during a visit to China on Sept 17-19 the Thai trade delegation held rice trade discussions with executives of Cofco, China's leading state enterprise for food and agriculture. The talks focused on expediting the transaction for 280,000 tonnes of rice included in the G2G deal.

She said Thailand requested Cofco purchase a total of 500,000 tonnes of Thai rice, including the pending transaction, to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China.

Mrs Arada said both sides agreed to collaborate on conducting public relations and marketing activities to enhance awareness of the quality and unique identity of Thai rice among Chinese consumers.

The DFT and Cofco plan to present the outcome of the discussions to policymakers for consideration and further action, she said.

The department also held talks with the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) on a possible collaboration to promote and safeguard Thai rice trade with China.

The DFT provided information about rice product standards, the registration process for Thai hom mali rice certification, Thai rice trademarks in China, and guidance on selecting and purchasing Thai hom mali rice in China.

Mrs Arada said SAMR showed interest in the presentation and informed the Thai delegation about legal action against rice traders who do not comply with Chinese regulations.

Thailand exports 400,000-500,000 tonnes of rice to China annually, according to the DFT.

From January to July of this year, Thailand exported 406,720 tonnes of rice valued at 6.82 billion baht, up 125% year-on-year in volume and 61.2% in value. Of these exports, 57.9% was white rice, 27% was sticky rice and 12.1% was Thai hom mali rice.

Source : msn