mmdeinternational.com - ✅ 🌽🇺🇸 American Corn Imports Poised to Cut Feed Costs 💸 and Lift Thai Poultry Margins 🐔📈

Thaifoods Group says importing American corn will help reduce the cost of producing poultry feed. Corn from the United States is considered higher‑quality and relatively cheaper compared to current sources. 
Currently, corn prices in Thailand are around USD 0.29‑0.30 per kg, with expectations of a drop to ≈ USD 0.28/kg once U.S. supply is more widely integrated.

Margin improvement & competitiveness
Thailand’s poultry industry is growing at ~5‑7% per year. Lower feed costs from U.S. corn are seen as essential for improving margins, especially given that Thailand’s production costs are currently 20‑30% higher than major producers like Brazil, U.S., and EU.

Dependency & trade policy changes
Thailand consumes about 9 million metric tons of corn annually, of which domestic production covers only a portion; the rest must be imported. U.S. corn imports, if tariff and regulatory barriers are eased, have the potential to displace higher‑cost imports from nearby countries like Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia.
The government has also floated ideas about reducing or eliminating import taxes on U.S. corn to make it more cost‑competitive.

Domestic farmer concerns
Some local corn farmers are worried that cheaper imports will push down domestic corn prices, hurting their income. Regulations are being discussed that require imported feed corn to meet certain environmental and quality standards (for example, banning corn produced with slash‑and‑burn methods). These may affect the supply source dynamics. 

Regulatory & tariff issues
While there is momentum for lowering tariffs and easing restrictions, the rules are not fully finalized. Import volumes and the precise terms under which U.S. corn can enter efficiently are still under negotiation. 

If the changes move forward, Thai poultry producers could see a meaningful reduction in feed costs, which could translate into lower prices, higher margins, and potentially higher exports. The shift may also push Thailand to become more competitive regionally in poultry production against countries like Vietnam and compare better with large agribusinesses globally. However, the speed at which these benefits materialize will depend on how fast regulatory reforms are implemented, how domestic farmers adapt, and how trade relationships (tariffs, quotas, quality standards) with the U.S. and other corn suppliers evolve.