Thai rice industry unfazed as Seoul trims imports

By The Nation

 

 

Thailand is among countries affected by South Korea’s decision to import less rice, a move backed by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

 

Auramon Supthaweethum, director-general of the Department of Trade Negotiations, said this week that Seoul had reduced rice imports to 408,700 tonnes annually, which includes a quota ceiling of 28,494 tonnes from Thailand.

 

While reducing rice imports overall, South Korea will import more from some countries based on cost.

 

“They are importing less Thai rice because the price is higher than those of our competitors,” Auramon said, while insisting that the Thai rice export situation remains strong.

 

Chukiat Opaswong, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, was also unperturbed by South Korea’s move, since it typically never imports a huge amount of Thai rice.

 

It imported only 10,000 tonnes of the 29,963-tonne quota last year, Chukiat said, because Chinese and Vietnamese rice was cheaper and because it’s getting more rice from the United States.

 

Thai rice costs US$420 a tonne and Vietnamese $360. South Koreans also prefer short-grain rice, whereas Thai rice is long-grain.

 

Seoul has boosted its import quota from Vietnam to 55,112 tonnes from 45,400, the US to 132,304 tonnes from 100,901 and China to 166,070 tonnes from 157,195.

 

Thailand’s quota was dropped from last year’s 29,963 tonnes to 28,494.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30380270

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-01-09

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Thai rice costs US$420 a tonne and Vietnamese $360. South Koreans also prefer short-grain rice, whereas Thai rice is long-grain.

 

And Thais still dont get the concept of customer satisfaction. Sell the wrong product at a more expensive price and they wonder why they lose trade.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

“They are importing less Thai rice because the price is higher than those of our competitors,” Auramon said, while insisting that the Thai rice export situation remains strong.

Hardly think the words 'remains strong' are applicable to losing 5% of your export business

Today they say not fazed, a comment made for just about any negative news on the economic front.

Sure to see stories of complaint and distress by people in the rice industry and a PM urging them to export more rice.

 

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai rice industry unfazed

Thai for Face

So SK prefers Uncle Ben’s American rice...let that sink in...

Perhaps there’s a correlation between lower rice sales and a higher Baht?

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai rice costs US$420 a tonne and Vietnamese $360

That adds up to a huge saving for the Koreans that are buying.. but hey, the governor says don't plant rice as it uses too much water, he'll tell you to stay home soon and scratch you arris!