BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand’s rice exports fell 30% annually in the first quarter of this year to 2.1 million metric tons, an industry association said on Monday.
The decline was due to countries delaying buying decisions and India resuming rice exports, Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, told reporters.
Full-year exports could fall below the forecast of 7.5 million tons, he said, but exporters were seeing more U.S. orders after a 90-day pause on the imposition of steep new tariffs.
Exports in the second quarter would be similar to the first three months of the year, he said.
The tariff of 36% imposed on Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy is among the higher rates imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
A delegation led by Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira will meet U.S. officials in Washington this week to seek lower tariffs.
Thailand is the world’s second-largest rice exporter, but could lose that title if tariffs were higher than 10%, Chookiat said.
Last year, Thailand shipped 9.94 million tons of rice worth 225.65 billion baht, with the U.S. being its third-largest market by volume.
(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng and Orathai Sriring; Editing by Savio D’Souza)
