Malaysia and Thailand Resolve Fisheries Market Access Issues, Sign Agriculture Cooperation MoU
Kuala Lumpur, The Gulf Observer: Malaysia and Thailand have resolved outstanding issues related to fisheries market access and agreed to bring into force a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on agricultural cooperation within one week, marking a significant step towards strengthening bilateral ties in food security and agricultural trade.
The agreement was concluded on Thursday during the official visit of Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to Malaysia. Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Prime Minister Anutin witnessed the exchange of the MoU between Malaysia’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, and Thailand’s Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit.
Addressing a joint press conference, Prime Minister Anwar said the agreement demonstrates the shared commitment of both countries to enhancing food security and expanding bilateral trade.
He noted that the long-standing fisheries market access issues had been successfully resolved through close cooperation between the respective agriculture ministries. While Thailand had initially proposed implementing the MoU within six weeks, both governments agreed to bring it into force within one week.
Prime Minister Anutin welcomed the development, describing food security as a central focus of bilateral discussions. He said both sides had reached an amicable settlement on pending market access issues involving fisheries and agricultural products, paving the way for closer cooperation.
According to Malaysia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the MoU establishes a comprehensive framework for collaboration in key sectors, including crop production, livestock, fisheries, trade facilitation, agricultural product marketing, research and development, capacity building, biosecurity, and sanitary and phytosanitary measures.
The ministry said the framework would strengthen coordination and communication between relevant authorities through a more structured, transparent and continuous mechanism, enabling agricultural and agri-food issues to be addressed more efficiently and proactively.
The ministry also noted that the two Prime Ministers had held bilateral discussions last week focusing on expanding cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, food security, as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Earlier, on June 1, Malaysia introduced tighter import controls on selected Thai fisheries products by requiring certificates of analysis for barramundi and imposing temporary import restrictions on five shrimp species as part of enhanced regulatory measures.
Bilateral agricultural and agri-food trade between Malaysia and Thailand continued its upward trajectory, reaching RM20.33 billion during the January–December 2025 period. Malaysia’s principal exports to Thailand include coffee, cocoa, tea, spices and processed food products, while its major imports consist of meat and meat-based products, underscoring the growing importance of agricultural cooperation between the two neighbouring nations.
