China has extended its suspension on Thai syrup and processed sugar imports after concluding that none of the ten Thai manufacturing facilities surveyed complied with its stringent food safety regulations.
Starting from December 2024 with the latest expansion taking effect from October 27, 2025, the expanded ban, which now includes four additional categories such as flavored sugar solutions and syrups, poses a severe threat to Thailand’s sugar industry. Exporters, heavily reliant on the Chinese market, are bracing for further multi-billion-baht revenue losses.
According to Mr. Todsaporn Ruangpattananont, President of the Thai Sugar Product Association, Chinese customs officials assessed ten Thai plants in July 2025 and found widespread failure to meet required hygiene and quality benchmarks, despite significant investments by operators aimed at upgrading facilities. Consequently, only a tightly controlled volume of raw sugar remains eligible for export under quota restrictions, while syrup and premixed sugar shipments are entirely banned.
Mr. Todsaporn has called on the Thai Ministry of Commerce to engage directly with China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) to seek a resolution. The industry group is pressing for three urgent actions: allowing the release of sugar products currently stranded at ports, approving the export of goods stored in warehouses, and formally appointing Thailand’s National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards (ACFS) as the regulatory body responsible for certifying manufacturing standards.
