Mexico imports over 100 tonnes of Thai rice

BANGKOK, January 16 (TNA) - Thailand has penetrated the Mexican rice market, in which more than 100 tonnes of Thai rice will be first delivered, expected to pave the way for selling more Thai grains to other countries in Latin America. Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn told journalists on January 15 that she has ordered her ministry's Department of International Trade Promotion to explore ways to expand the Thai rice market and to create demand for Thai rice in the Central American Region through shipments to the United States. Apiradi elaborated her ministry's overseas trade promotion office in Mexico City has, thus, coordinated with Otis McAllister, Inc., the largest Thai rice importer in the United States and Central America and succeeded in shelving Thai rice at Cosco Mexico. The commerce minister revealed that the established Mexican wholesaler has first started importing four containers of Thai rice, or about 112 tonnes, to be sold at its 32 branches in Mexico's 18 states beginning in mid-January 2017. Besides, Cosco Mexico has agreed to work together with the Department of International Trade Promotion to promote Thai rice and boost the market share of Thai grains in the future. Meanwhile, Department of International Trade Promotion Director-General Malee Chokelamlert said Mexico has a business connection with several countries in Central America and the Thai Ministry of Commerce has, thus, planned to use Mexico as a base for distributing and launching PR campaigns to promote Thai rice exports to other Central American countries, such as Panama and Cuba, noting that Panama's rice production could not meet domestic demand. According to the senior official, the Panamanian government has already approved imports of 67,000 tonnes of Thai rice and is considering to order additional 135,000 tonnes of Thai grains, while Cuba is also a most potential rice importing market for Thailand in Latin America. Based on official figures, Thailand exported 16,167 tonnes of rice, totally worth 6.6 million US dollars to Mexico in 2015, while Mexico imported another 781,000 tonnes of rice, worth 273 million US dollars, from the United States, prompting the Thai overseas trade promotion office in the Mexican capital to speed up negotiating with food importers in the United States, aimed to distribute more Thai rice to the Central American markets. The senior official acknowledged that the Thai overseas trade promotion office in the Mexican capital has also invited major rice importers from Mexico, Panama and Cuba to visit the ThaiFex-World of Food Asia event in Thailand in mid-2017. (TNA)