The EU has classified Thailand as a low-risk country under its Deforestation-Free Products Regulation (EUDR), easing trade compliance for key exports such as rubber, palm oil, and timber. The new status is expected to reduce documentation burdens, cut costs, and boost Thailand’s competitiveness in the European market.

Arada Fuangtong, Director-General of the Department of Foreign Trade, revealed that on May 22, 2025, the European Union (EU) officially released its Benchmarking or Country Classification List, ranking countries by their risk levels in relation to the production of goods potentially linked to deforestation.

This classification is part of the EU’s Deforestation-Free Products Regulation (EUDR), which aims to prevent the import of products associated with deforestation into the EU market.

The EU categorises countries into three risk levels:

Low-Risk Countries

Standard-Risk Countries

High-Risk Countries

Thailand, along with Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos (PDR), and Brunei, has been classified as a Low-Risk Country.

This means that products exported from Thailand to the EU will be subject to less stringent requirements for documentation, traceability, and evidence of compliance compared to those from Standard-Risk countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia, or High-Risk countries such as Myanmar.

The EUDR aims to promote the trade of deforestation-free products and address global deforestation and forest degradation caused by illegal logging and agricultural expansion. The regulation covers seven key commodities:

Cattle

Timber

Palm oil

Soy

Coffee

Cocoa

Rubber

as well as their processed derivatives. 

All exporters must ensure traceability and provide data based on the assigned risk classification of their country.

Under the regulation’s timeline:

Large companies will be required to comply and report to EU authorities from December 30, 2025 onward.

SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) must comply starting from June 30, 2026.

Arada added that in 2024, Thailand's exports of EUDR-related products to the global market totalled US$10.998 billion, with US$694.12 million destined for the EU market, accounting for 6.31% of Thailand’s global EUDR exports.

She emphasised that Thailand’s classification as a Low-Risk Country under the EUDR presents a significant opportunity to reduce compliance costs related to documentation and traceability, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of Thai products in the EU market.

This designation also enables Thai exporters to plan their shipments more efficiently and seize new opportunities for sustained market growth.

Thai businesses can find more information at: https://green-forum.ec.europa.eu/deforestation-regulation-implementation/eudr-cooperation-and-partnerships/country-classification-list_en

Or contact the Dual-Use Goods Administration Group, Department of Trade Measures and Agreements, at +66 2 528 7500–29 ext. 4710 or the DTM hotline: 1385.

Source : The Naiton