The United States supplied $1.66 billion of Thailand's $23.5 billion in agricultural and related imports in 2025. The figure comes from a USDA Foreign Agricultural Service report published July 30.
Key Facts
- Thailand's total 2025 agricultural imports reached $23.5 billion, with the U.S. supplying $1.66 billion of that total.
- Up 32% from 2024, U.S. cherry imports to Thailand reached $7.4 million in 2025.
- U.S. orange imports to Thailand collapsed nearly 65% in 2025, falling from $150,000 to about $50,000.
The report, prepared by the FAS post in Bangkok, frames the gap as room to grow rather than a weak position. It names apples, cherries, berries, grapes, and citrus as the categories with the clearest openings for U.S. exporters.
Thailand's economy grew 2.2% in 2025. USDA projects 2.0% growth for 2026, a modest deceleration.
Overall retail sales are expected to grow 3.7% heading into 2026. The report attributes the rising demand to three converging forces.
A health and wellness trend favors antioxidant-rich fruit like blueberries and cherries. Rapid urbanization has pushed urban professionals toward delivery apps for routine grocery shopping.
A gifting culture drives demand for flawlessly packaged fruit around holidays including Lunar New Year.
Thailand's Agricultural Import Market Reached $23.5 Billion in 2025
Thailand's tropical climate limits domestic production to native fruit. USDA FAS says the gap gives U.S. exporters a structural opening in apples, cherries, berries, grapes, and citrus, varieties the country cannot grow at scale itself.
But the U.S. faces standard Most Favored Nation tariffs, while regional competitors China, Australia, New Zealand, and Chile ship into Thailand under free trade agreements. USDA frames that disadvantage as a filter rather than a wall.
It pushes U.S. fruit into Thailand's premium tier, where consumers already associate U.S. origin with safety and quality and are willing to pay for it.
US Cherry and Apple Imports Grew in Thailand in 2025
Three fruit categories posted gains in the U.S.-Thailand trade in 2025.
- Cherries rose from $5.6 million to $7.4 million, a 32% jump and the sharpest gain of any category in the report.
- Apples climbed from $18.1 million to $19.3 million, still the largest category by value.
- Berries grew more modestly, from $2.8 million to $2.9 million, a gain USDA credits to blueberries' shelf life and reputation as a health food.
USDA ties the cherry and apple gains to Thai consumers seeking premium, club varieties such as Cosmic Crisp and Honeycrisp. Cherries carry added status as a gifting item, sold during a short June-to-August window where air freight and cold chain integrity govern retail pricing.
US fresh fruit imports to Thailand split by category in 2025. Cherries posted the sharpest gain of any category, up 32% to $7.4 million, while apples stayed the largest category by value at $19.3 million. Oranges and grapes moved the other way, with oranges falling to about $50,000 and grapes down to $1.2 million.
US Orange and Grape Imports to Thailand Declined in 2025
Orange imports fell nearly 65%, from $150,000 in 2024 to roughly $50,000 in 2025. Grape imports contracted 21%, from $1.5 million to $1.2 million. USDA attributes the citrus decline to several factors.
Tariffs on foreign growers and inflation-driven demand reduction played a role, alongside production shortfalls in Mexico and Spain. Revised FDA rules also let domestic processors use more U.S. fruit instead of imported concentrate, cutting into import demand.
Grapes face a seasonal squeeze instead. Thai demand has shifted toward crisp, large-sized varieties such as Cotton Candy and Autumn King. California growers compete there directly against counter-seasonal supply from the Southern Hemisphere.
USDA advises exporters to time shipments so they land roughly two to three weeks before major gifting occasions such as Lunar New Year, when retail prices peak. It also recommends small, gift-ready packaging over bulk boxes, since Thai household sizes are shrinking.
