Thailand keen to tap into Malaysia's halal market strength to advance its future food export strategy
KUALA LUMPUR: Thailand is looking into Malaysia's halal market strength as a key pillar in advancing its future food export strategy, as both countries push for deeper collaboration under the Asean framework.
Thai Chamber of Commerce vice-chairman Visit Limlurcha said one key area of focus is building a regional roadmap that ensures trade resilience.
'Asean must maintain at least 50–60% intra-regional trade capacity to buffer against external shocks and preserve access to markets such as the United States and China. In this context, Thailand sees strong potential in integrating Malaysia's established halal certification ecosystem with its own abundant raw material resources.
'Malaysia has a lot of halal market access, while Thailand has a lot of raw materials. We can exchange and help each other,' he told reporters at the 'Unpacking Malaysia-Thailand Trade & Packaging Opportunities ahead of ProPak Asia 2025' event today.
Visit said the synergy aligns with Thailand's policy shift towards producing more 'future food', which is food that is sustainable, health-focused and designed to meet the needs of new generations. 'The food we are developing is not just for nutrition, but for sustainability and innovation.'
Visit pointed out that Malaysia holds an advantage in developing functional and high-value ingredients, beyond traditional food commodities, which could complement Thailand's production capabilities.
'Malaysia has roadmaps that can turn raw products into functional ingredients. We need to work together to unlock that value,' he said.
Further, Visit highlighted the urgent need for regional alignment to address global economic uncertainties, including slowing trade, US tariffs, and post-pandemic recovery. 'We all face the same problem, so we need to prepare ourselves well, not just Thailand and Malaysia, but Asean as a whole.'
With Malaysia taking over the Asean chairmanship this year, Visit said, both countries are intensifying cross-border dialogue.
'This is a very good time for Malaysia. Both the government and private sectors are in close conversation, and we have a meeting coming up next month to align on these matters,' he said, noting that many of these topics would be tabled in the upcoming Asean agenda.
Visit acknowledged that Thai food exports to Malaysia have been declining in recent years, attributing this to the broader global economic slowdown. 'Once the situation improves, the numbers will bounce back, and with stronger collaboration, we can do more than before,' he said.
The Thai Chamber of Commerce is working to support small and medium enterprises through the turbulent times, he noted.
'We had a big crisis during Covid-19. Now, with new challenges like US tariffs, we are focused on helping SMEs navigate what is coming next,' Visit said.
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