A hundred tonnes a day stuck: Thai shrimp farmers warn of ‘severe delays’ as Malaysia halts imports

BANGKOK, June 6 — Thailand’s shrimp industry has urged the government to engage directly with Malaysia to resolve a trade dispute that has led to a ban on Thai shrimp imports, warning that any prolonged delay could severely affect farmers and the wider industry.

Thai Shrimp Association president Ekapoj Yodpinit said the association has submitted a letter to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, calling for government-level negotiations with Malaysia.

He said the issue was too significant to be handled solely by fisheries authorities, describing it as a bilateral trade dispute requiring direct government-to-government talks.

He warned that shrimp farmers cannot afford further delays, as daily disruptions are preventing large volumes of exports from reaching key markets. The association estimates that around 100 tonnes of shrimp per day — about 3,000 tonnes a month — were previously exported via Malaysia.

Ekapoj said that each day of disruption is preventing large volumes of shrimp from reaching export markets.

The industry is already feeling the strain, buyers slowing purchases and cold storage operators struggling to absorb excess stock amid weak demand from major markets such as the United States and Japan.

Malaysia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security announced last month a temporary suspension on imports of five Thai shrimp species effective June 1 as part of tighter controls on fisheries products from Thailand.

The affected species are Penaeus esculentus (brown tiger prawn), Fenneropenaeus merguiensis (banana prawn), Penaeus vannamei (whiteleg shrimp), Penaeus monodon (giant tiger prawn) and Penaeus stylirostris (blue shrimp).

However, Ekapoj said the dispute stemmed from Malaysian concerns over Thailand’s inspection measures for imported seabass, particularly residue testing procedures that can take between 10 and 15 days.

While acknowledging Malaysia’s concerns, he stressed that Thailand must maintain its food safety standards, noting that authorities had previously detected residue contamination in imported Malaysian seabass.

Meanwhile, Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce has introduced 13 measures to support shrimp farmers and exporters, including efforts to expand domestic sales and identify new export markets, with a target of absorbing at least 400 tonnes of shrimp per month. 

However, Ekapoj said the measures would not fully offset losses from the Malaysian market, urging both sides to reach a negotiated settlement quickly to prevent wider damage to Thailand’s shrimp industry. — Bernama