Durian from Thailand gains popularity in China and China has become Thailand's largest export destination for fresh durian. For nine consecutive years, China has remained Thailand's largest trading partner, and has been a major export market for Thailand's agricultural products.
In 2021, China-Thailand bilateral trade volume hit 100 billion U.S. dollars for the first time, with 33 percent year on year surging, according to data from China's General Administration of Customs.
In January 2022, Thailand shipped for the first time agricultural goods including glutinous rice to China through the China-Laos Railway. The new channel saves more time on transportation that can retain the freshness of tropical fruits like durians and coconut. The China-Laos railway route has become the new channel for Thailand to export goods, especially agricultural products to China and even the Central Asian countries through the rail link of China-Europe freight express.