The measures took effect on January in effort to curb cross-border air pollution, address PM2.5 haze concerns, according to the Department of Foreign Trade (DFT).
Furthermore, this would a Thailand’s agricultural supply chains with global sustainability standards.
Under the regulation, it will be mandatory for maize imports to be sourced from farms or production systems that do not practice slash-and-burn agriculture.
“Importers and animal feed manufacturers are therefore advised to adjust their procurement systems and intensify source verification processes to comply with the new regulation, which applies to feed maize imports from all countries.”
Importers will be required to provide documentation identifying production sources and demonstrating compliance with the burn-free criteria.
The move positions Thailand among a growing number of agricultural importers linking market access to environmental production standards.
DFT director-general Arada Fuengthong said that this requirement for maize represented a significant new compliance obligation for importers.
These regulations were issued in line with resolutions of the National Corn Policy and Management Committee and approved by the cabinet.
The DFT stressed that the burn-free feed maize regulations were new legislation with enhanced documentation and inspection requirements, unlike other regulations that are continuing with established and familiar frameworks.
As such, it has urged importers to prioritise compliance with the burn-free maize regulations.
To ease the transition, authorities will initially allow importers to submit self-certification forms detailing cultivation practices, plot locations and import volumes to enable traceability.
Alternatively, importers may submit certificates issued by competent authorities in exporting countries, accredited institutions, or internationally recognised certification bodies.
All documentation must be retained for five years for audit and verification purposes.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is expected to designate a Thai competent authority to publish a list of approved certification bodies in exporting countries.
Regulation updates
Alongside the new environmental requirement, Thailand has maintained existing import frameworks for feed maize under both the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and ASEAN agreements.
Under ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA/ATIGA) rules, feed maize originating from ASEAN member states may continue to enter Thailand at a zero per cent tariff with no volume limit.
However, the import window for general importers has been shortened to five months, from February 1 to June 30 2026, to avoid disrupting domestic maize production during Thailand’s main harvest season. State importer the Public Warehouse Organisation will retain the right to import throughout the year.
Under WTO commitments, Thailand has expanded its tariff-rate quota significantly.
From 54,700 tonnes, which was previously reserved for the Public Warehouse Organisation, the annual quota has been increased to 1 million tonnes.
This amount would be accessible to both state and private importers. The Ministry of Finance will separately announce the applicable tariff rates.
On the other hand, wheat imports for animal feed will continue under the same regulatory approach as previous years.
No major new policy conditions have been introduced, with the focus remaining on ensuring stable and sufficient raw material supply for the feed industry, said DFT.
