Thailand's Cassava Flour Successfully Penetrates German Market; Major Global Companies Interested in Joint Venture Expansion
Thai cassava flour has gained strong interest from major European companies after a trade delegation's visit to Germany, with leading packaging and chemical manufacturers requesting product samples and exploring joint ventures. The success
Arada Fuengtong, Director-General of the Department of Foreign Trade (DFT) under the Commerce Ministry, has revealed that she assigned Nophadol Kanthamas, Deputy Director-General of the DFT, to lead a delegation of government representatives, cassava flour experts, leading Thai cassava flour industry entrepreneurs, and media to expand export markets for Thai cassava flour in Germany between May 10-13, 2025. This initiative aims to open new market opportunities in line with the policy of Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supachai Suthammapun.
The mission achieved outstanding success. The delegation participated in Interpack 2026, Europe's largest packaging industry exhibition and technology showcase, and engaged in discussions with the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association, Germany's most influential association of food processing and packaging machinery manufacturers.
The team also met with leading European packaging manufacturers such as PaperFoams B.V. from the Netherlands and Lecta from Spain. These companies expressed strong interest in developing cassava flour-based materials and requested product samples for testing as raw materials before proceeding with bulk purchases.
Furthermore, the delegation met with major German chemical companies interested in cassava flour's potential as a key raw material for producing environmentally-friendly chemicals. The Thai cassava flour industry has demonstrated its capacity to efficiently meet these demands while aligning with European environmental standards. Both private sectors will continue discussing joint product development plans.
The delegation also met with executives from the Port of Duisburg, the world's largest inland port, which is connected to major European ports via the Rhine River and serves as a main terminal for the China-Europe Railway Express under the Belt and Road Initiative. Transporting Thai cassava flour through this port presents an important alternative that will efficiently distribute Thai cassava flour to manufacturing sectors across the European region in the future.
The market expansion mission for Thai cassava flour in Germany achieved remarkable success, particularly in promoting cassava flour's strengths as a versatile raw material for various industries including paper, packaging, and chemicals. Given the distinctive properties and potential of Thailand's cassava flour industry, multiple European companies have expressed interest in developing cassava flour products in collaboration with Thai private enterprises, spanning packaging, packaging coatings, and environmentally-friendly chemical production.
Given cassava flour's commitment to international quality standards that align with EU policy, the department is confident that this market expansion initiative will represent a crucial opportunity to strengthen the capabilities of entrepreneurs in both countries while enhancing supply chain resilience and sustainable growth. This will ultimately benefit Thai cassava farmers by securing long-term stable export markets.
Arada stated that amid current geopolitical crises affecting global supply chains, promoting Thai cassava flour in Germany not only showcases high-quality agricultural raw materials but also strengthens international trade relationships.
