China and Thailand Deepen Sustainable Palm Oil Partnership Through First Joint Industry Field Trip

The landmark field trip gathered leading Chinese companies in Surat Thani, Thailand’s largest palm oil producing province, to gain first-hand perspectives into the country’s sustainable palm oil value chain. The visit enabled a deeper understanding between Thai producers and Chinese buyers, creating new opportunities to expand sustainable trade, improve supply chain transparency, and accelerate market transformation across Asia and beyond. 

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in China and Thailand jointly organised the first-ever China Sustainable Palm Oil Business Delegation to Thailand from 6–10 July 2026, marking a significant milestone in strengthening collaboration between one of the world’s largest palm oil consuming markets and its third-largest producing country.

The five-day field trip brought together representatives from leading Chinese companies across international shipping and logistics, commodity trading, oleochemical manufacturing, consumer goods manufacturing, and industry information services. Travelling from Bangkok, Thailand’s refining hub, to Surat Thani, the country’s largest palm oil producing province, the delegation visited plantations, mills, refineries, biodiesel facilities and downstream processing operations, gaining first-hand insights into Thailand’s sustainable palm oil value chain.

The delegation met with a diverse group of RSPO Members and industry leaders, including Patum Vegetable Oil Co., Ltd., SD Guthrie Morakot PCL, Thai Eastern Group Holdings PCL, Suksomboon Palm Oil PCL, New Biodiesel Co.,Ltd., Thana Palm Product Co.,Ltd., and Univanich Palm Oil PCL. The visits provided valuable opportunities for in-depth discussions on sustainability, certification, traceability, market developments, and evolving demands from China, while enabling Thai producers and Chinese buyers to better understand each other’s priorities and future needs.

As the world’s third-largest palm oil producer, Thailand plays an increasingly important role in diversifying the global supply of sustainable palm oil. At the same time, China remains one of the world’s largest importers and consumers of palm oil, giving it considerable influence in driving global demand for certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO). Strengthening collaboration between these two markets creates new opportunities to expand sustainable trade, improve supply chain transparency, and accelerate market transformation across Asia and beyond.

“This trip has given us a much deeper understanding of Thailand’s palm oil industry and its strengths across the value chain. We see tremendous potential in Thailand’s refining and downstream processing capabilities and look forward to building closer partnerships that can help meet the growing demand in China for highly refined, value-added and high-quality sustainable palm oil products,” said Liang Ziqin, General Manager of Guangdong Yeser Industrial Co.,LTD., an RSPO Member participating in the delegation.

Deepening ties between producer and consumer countries

The field trip also builds on the growing engagement between the two markets over the past two years. During the RSPO Roundtable Conference (RT2024) in Bangkok, Chinese stakeholders held extensive discussions with members of the Thailand Sustainable Palm Oil Network (TASPON). That dialogue continued through Thailand’s participation as keynote speaker and panellist at China’s Cereals and Oils Conference and the RSPO China Forum.

This week’s programme marks the next stage of that relationship—from conference discussions to on-the-ground business engagement. By facilitating direct exchanges between producers and buyers, the initiative helps strengthen commercial partnerships, deepen technical understanding, and identify new opportunities for sustainable trade.

“China’s role in the global sustainable palm oil transition extends far beyond its position as one of the world’s largest buyers,” said Fang Lifeng, Head of China, RSPO. “As Chinese companies continue integrating sustainability into procurement and supply chain management, their purchasing decisions can send stronger market signals that encourage sustainable production across producing countries. Connecting Chinese buyers directly with Thai producers enables both sides to better understand each other’s expectations and work together to build more resilient, transparent and sustainable supply chains.”

“Thailand has made significant progress in advancing sustainable palm oil production, and this visit provides an excellent opportunity to showcase those achievements while strengthening relationships with potential key export markets,” said Radda Larpnun, Market Transformation and Technical Manager, RSPO Thailand. “Through closer collaboration, knowledge sharing and business partnerships, Thailand and China can jointly contribute to the continued growth of sustainable palm oil trade in Asia.”

As sustainability expectations continue to evolve across global markets, closer cooperation between producing and consuming countries will be increasingly important. By strengthening business partnerships and expanding demand for certified sustainable palm oil, the collaboration between China and Thailand has the potential to enhance regional sustainable trade while contributing to a more resilient and responsible global palm oil supply chain.

The successful completion of the inaugural China-Thailand Sustainable Palm Oil Business Delegation reflects RSPO’s commitment to connecting stakeholders across markets and translating dialogue into practical collaboration that advances sustainable production, responsible sourcing, and shared prosperity throughout the palm oil value chain.

About RSPO:

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a global partnership to make palm oil sustainable. Formed in 2004, the RSPO is a multi-stakeholder non-profit organisation that unites members from across the palm oil value chain, including oil palm producers, palm oil processors and traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental or nature conservation non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and social or developmental NGOs. 

As a partnership for progress and positive impact, the RSPO facilitates global change to make the production and consumption of palm oil sustainable. To inspire change, we communicate the environmental and social benefits. To make progress, we catalyse collaboration. To provide assurance, we set the standards of certification.

The RSPO is registered as an international association in Zurich, Switzerland, with main offices in Malaysia and Indonesia, and offices in China, Colombia, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States.  

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