Thailand has stepped up efforts to strengthen its agricultural export footprint in China by actively promoting its geographical indication (GI) products through a trade mission targeting Chinese importers.
Led by the Department of Intellectual Property under the Ministry of Commerce, the delegation engaged Chinese importers in a targeted business-matching session held at the Huizhan Fruit Wholesale Market, one of Eastern China’s key distribution hubs with billions in annual trade value. The event brought Thai producers together with more than 16 fruit importers to explore new commercial partnerships and expand market access for Thai GI products.
A key outcome of the visit was a supply agreement involving Sisaket Volcano Durian, which secured a memorandum of understanding with Huizhan Market for the advance purchase of 500 tons of the fruit. Alongside this deal, Thailand showcased a wider portfolio of GI-certified products from six provinces, including fruits and specialty agricultural products, highlighting the country’s growing emphasis on origin-based agricultural branding.
Thailand now has over 260 registered GI products, generating more than B116 billion (US$3.5 billion) in economic output. Nearly half of these registrations are linked to fruit products, reflecting strong international demand – particularly from China – for agricultural goods that emphasize provenance, quality assurance and traceability.
Beyond agricultural trade, the delegation also held discussions with Huawei Technologies focused on the integration of digital tools in intellectual property administration. Conversations covered the potential use of artificial intelligence and cloud-based systems to enhance processes such as trademark and patent examination, as well as broader approaches to IP management and innovation strategy.
Huawei shared insights into its research-driven model, noting its substantial investment in innovation, a large-scale global patent portfolio and a workforce heavily concentrated in research and development.
- Asia IP
