China has imposed a sweeping ban on the import of all Thai syrups and premixed sugar products, after 10 factories failed the latest safety and hygiene standards inspection by Chinese authorities.
The decision has sparked fears of mass closures and layoffs across Thailand’s processed sugar sector.
Todsaporn Ruangpattananont, president of the Thai Sugar Product Association, said yesterday the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) announced the prohibition following factory inspections conducted between July and September.
GACC cited non-compliance with food safety and production control requirements, he said.
The inspections, which were coordinated by Thailand’s National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards, revealed various shortcomings, such as insufficient sanitary controls and inadequate zoning between production and administrative areas.
“None of the factories inspected passed GACC’s audit despite major investments to meet standards,” he said.
“This closure of all export channels will cost the industry billions of baht.”
The wide-ranging decision effectively blocks exports across all categories.
The GACC had earlier the import of suspended syrups and premixed sugar powders under two tariff codes in December 2024, prompting Thai exporters to shift shipments under alternative categories.
The new order, effective from Oct 27, bans four additional product codes to cover all forms of syrup, sugar blends and related preparations, and freezes new registration applications for Thai producers, said Mr Todsaporn.
The association warned that up to 47 member companies of the association are now at risk, as China remains their largest export market.
“If the ban persists, only three to five factories are expected to remain operational by year’s end as finding alternative markets to replace China has proven extremely difficult,” he said.
The sector purchases about 3.6 million tonnes of sugar annually for further processing, he noted.