Thailand and China will open five new fruit trade checkpoints on September 1, 2025, under the Third Country Fruit Transport Protocol. This strategic move is aimed at significantly shortening transportation time and reducing logistics costs. For perishable fruits like longan and mangosteen, this means better preservation of freshness, with the potential to substantially increase the export of Thai fruits, especially longan and mangosteen, to China.

The new checkpoints:

· Thailand: Thung Chang (Nan), Ban Huak (Phayao), Phu Du (Uttaradit)

· China: Mengkang and Taluo (Yunnan)

“This checkpoint expansion is a transformative leap,” emphasized Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Artthakorn Sirilatthayakorn. “New routes will slash logistics costs, ease peak-season bottlenecks, and accelerate Thai fruit distribution across Chinese provinces—ultimately boosting competitiveness in our largest market.”

In 2024, Thailand exported 527,927 tons of longans, with 73.1% shipped to China. The dependency is even higher for mangosteens: 91.0% of Thailand’s fresh exports flowed to the Chinese market. So stringent quality has become critical for Thailand’s fruit industry competitiveness.

While expanded checkpoints accelerate fruit shipments, Thai exporters face a critical truth:  bruised or irregularly sized fruit – issues inherent to manual sorting that weaken logistics gains.

For growers targeting the Chinese market, solutions like FstSort’s Integrated Processing Line prove essential:

· Precision Grading: Roller sorter grades fruits into different sizes accurately.

· High-Efficiency: Adjustable speed handles peak-season volumes

· Customized solutions: Provide customized processing solutions for your needs

As the network of fruit trade checkpoints expands under the protocol, Thailand’s ability to maintain and strengthen its competitive advantage in the Chinese market will increasingly depend on a critical investment: intelligent sorting systems that transform faster transit times into higher premium pricing power.