Thailand was not the first choice for the Chinese banana import market. Prior to 2011, 80% of bananas imported to China came from the Philippines, but diplomatic relations became tense in 2012 and the banana import from the Philippines only recovered in 2016. This development changed the distribution of Chinese banana imports with Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam taking advantage of their proximity to China to enlarge their market share.
Ma Yun visited Thailand in April, 2018, to facilitate the "marriage" between Thai fruit and Chinese e-commerce platforms. He guaranteed Chinese market demand so that Thai banana farmers could expand production without worrying about the risk. The Thai banana export volume to China continues to increase. Data from the Thai Customs Office shows that banana export grew between 2014 and 2017. Last year alone the export value reached 350 million USD.
Source: Global Times
