Reference
·Primary source
Thailand HS 38 & 39 chemical imports (2020-2024)
~USD 18-20B (2024)
Thailand's combined imports under HS 38 (miscellaneous chemical products) and HS 39 (plastics and articles thereof) reached roughly USD 18-20 billion in 2024 per Thai Customs Department disclosures, recovering from the 2020 COVID dip. The imports profile is dominated by speciality grades not produced locally including engineering polymers, specialty additives, advanced coatings intermediates, and pharma-grade fine chemicals. China, Japan, South Korea, the United States, and Singapore are the largest source markets. The persistent trade deficit on HS 38 highlights Thailand's reliance on imported speciality and fine chemicals even as commodity petrochemical capacity is structurally long.
Figure in context
Thailand's combined imports under HS 38 (miscellaneous chemical products) and HS 39 (plastics and articles thereof) reached roughly USD 18-20 billion in 2024 per Thai Customs Department disclosures, recovering from the 2020 COVID dip. The imports profile is dominated by speciality grades not produced locally including engineering polymers, specialty additives, advanced coatings intermediates, and pharma-grade fine chemicals. China, Japan, South Korea, the United States, and Singapore are the largest source markets. The persistent trade deficit on HS 38 highlights Thailand's reliance on imported speciality and fine chemicals even as commodity petrochemical capacity is structurally long.
Interpretation notes
What this tells you
Thailand's combined imports under HS 38 (miscellaneous chemical products) and HS 39 (plastics and articles thereof) reached roughly USD 18-20 billion in 2024 per Thai Customs Department disclosures, recovering from the 2020 COVID dip. The imports profile is dominated by speciality grades not produced locally including engineering polymers, specialty additives, advanced coatings intermediates, and pharma-grade fine chemicals. China, Japan, South Korea, the United States, and Singapore are the largest source markets. The persistent trade deficit on HS 38 highlights Thailand's reliance on imported speciality and fine chemicals even as commodity petrochemical capacity is structurally long.
What not to do with it
Values in USD billions. HS 38 and HS 39 combined CIF import value.
Related figures
Adjacent numbers that add context without drowning the value.
Thailand specialty chemicals revenue (2020-2024)
Federation of Thai Industries Chemical Industry Club; PTTGC, SCGC, TOA Paint, IRPC annual filings
Top operator share of Thailand specialty chemicals (2024)
PTTGC, SCGC, TOA Paint, IRPC, HMC Polymers annual reports; Federation of Thai Industries Chemical Industry Club
Specialty chemicals end-use mix (2024)
Federation of Thai Industries Chemical Industry Club; PTTGC, SCGC, TOA Paint segment disclosures; Plastics Institute of Thailand
TOA Paint Group revenue (2020-2024)
TOA Paint
Thai specialty chemical capacity registered under EU REACH
European Chemicals Agency, SCGC, IRPC operator disclosures
EEC chemical-priority project value (committed 2022-2025)
Eastern Economic Corridor Office; Thailand Board of Investment quarterly statistics; BOI promotional certificate database
Report context
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