In the first two months of this year (January-February 2025), Thai ice cream exports reached US$22 million, a solid 3 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Chotima pointed to the pivotal role of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) in bolstering exports and dismantling import tariffs in the 18 partner countries covered by Thailand’s 14 FTAs.
These include ASEAN nations, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, Peru, Chile, and Hong Kong. Currently, all categories of Thai ice cream and other edible ices enjoy tariff-free access to 17 of these FTA partner countries.
Japan remains the only exception, applying import duties ranging from 21 to 29.8 percent. Consequently, ice cream exports to FTA partner markets have consistently expanded.
In the first two months of 2025, these exports were valued at US$20 million, a 4 percent rise year-on-year, representing a significant 87 percent of Thailand’s total ice cream exports.
