The Department of Foreign Trade has revealed the results of leading a delegation of government trade representatives, academics, and Thai private-sector operators on a cassava starch sales mission to the United States, saying the trip achieved its targets. The delegation presented Thai cassava starch as a key raw material in food and beverage production, created sales opportunities with major importers, and successfully closed deals. The department also reaffirmed that cassava starch enjoys preferential treatment under Section 301 to bolster importer confidence.
Mrs. Arada Fueangthong, Director-General of the Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce, disclosed the results of leading a delegation of government representatives, academic experts in cassava starch, and Thai private-sector operators on a visit to negotiate and discuss trade opportunities for Thai cassava starch in the state of Illinois, United States, from 15–17 July 2026. She said the trip was undertaken in line with the policy of Mrs. Supajee Suthumpun, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, to accelerate the expansion of trade opportunities in high-potential markets for Thai cassava products.
The visit was highly successful. The delegation held discussions with government agencies and food and beverage networks at the state level, namely the Illinois Economic Development Corporation (Illinois EDC), the Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network (CFBN), and the Illinois Department of Agriculture — agencies that drive the economy of the Mid-West region and serve as a hub for the food and processed agricultural industries as well as logistics connecting Thai products to the US market. The discussions focused on identifying opportunities to leverage the readiness and potential of Thai cassava starch as a raw material across various industries, particularly food and beverages.
CFBN expressed strong interest in the potential of Thai cassava starch and proposed avenues for collaboration on value-added food product development with major research institutions in the region. It also offered to facilitate connections between Thai exporters and key buyers within the CFBN network through industry-specific focus group activities, enabling direct access to end users.
Mrs. Arada said the delegation also met with major global companies in the downstream industries of the United States, which confirmed that Thai cassava starch is a key raw material in US manufacturing due to its high quality and standards. Furthermore, the preferential tariff treatment under Annex A of the Section 301 measures helps enhance the competitive advantage of Thai cassava starch.
"We presented the potential and benefits of Thai cassava products, including innovations in value-added cassava starch product development, such as organic cassava starch, cassava flour, and processed cassava starch. We also discussed Thailand's stance and actions in pushing for eligible high-potential products to receive preferential tariff treatment under US Section 301, which helps build confidence among importers and buyers in the US market. At the same time, it promotes the expansion of trade cooperation and business opportunities between Thai exporters and their US counterparts in a concrete manner, leading to the successful creation of matching opportunities and the conclusion of trade agreements between the Thai private sector and major US importers," Mrs. Arada said.
Beyond the successes in the US market, a major dairy farm company in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has recently expressed interest and decided to trial the use of Thai cassava pellets as a key ingredient in animal feed. This success reflects the department's commitment to expanding markets and driving cassava exports in order to reduce dependence on any single market, while elevating the competitiveness of Thai cassava to achieve stable and sustainable growth across all dimensions of the supply chain.
