Thailand’s monosodium glutamate (MSG) exports are projected to decline by 6.2% in 2026 due to competition from China.

Thailand's monosodium glutamate (MSG) export volume in 2026 is expected to decline by 6.2% due to competitive pressure from China, particularly in neighboring markets, which are Thailand's key export destinations.

• China is clearly the leader in the global MSG market. In 2025, China exported MSG worth over USD966 million, with a volume of around 1.11 million tons, while Thailand exported MSG worth USD189 million, with a volume of about 101,000 tons. This reflects China's production and export scale being many times larger than Thailand's, giving China stronger price competitiveness.
• Thailand's MSG export structure relies heavily on a few key markets. Thailand exports MSG to five major countries, accounting for around 79% of total exports, with Myanmar, Lao PDR, and Cambodia as the three main markets. As a result, import trends in these countries significantly influence Thailand's overall MSG export performance.
• Over the past five years, Thailand's MSG exports have grown more slowly than China's, especially in Myanmar and Cambodia, where imports from China have been increasing steadily. During 2022–2025, Thailand's MSG export volume to Myanmar grew by an average of only 2% per year, while China's grew by as much as 18% per year. In Cambodia, Thailand's export volume contracted by an average of 12% per year, while China's expanded by 19% per year. This trend indicates that China is increasingly penetrating Thailand's neighboring markets.
• A key pressure comes from China's significantly lower MSG export price, which is about 53% lower than Thailand. China's MSG price is USD871 per ton, compared with Thailand's at approximately USD1,860 per ton. This price gap incentivizes importers in price-sensitive markets to increasingly switch to Chinese products.
  
  

Scan QR Code