Market analysis · 2025 full year
Thailand import growth in 2025
A comparison of 356 markets: where import value grew fastest, and where the largest dollar increases occurred.
By TradeScope Asia · Published · Comparing January–December 2025 with January–December 2024
Antimony had the fastest import-value growth in this comparison, up 372.7% to US$548.3 million. Steel semi-finished products recorded the largest dollar increase, adding US$550.1 million. These rankings cover TradeScope Asia markets with at least US$10 million in imports in each year.
This is a selected catalogue of HS4 markets, not a ranking of every product imported into Thailand. Values are nominal USD on a CIF basis (cost, insurance and freight). Growth in import value can reflect changes in volume, prices and product mix.
These official totals include all origin codes, including Thailand (TH). Product-report previews exclude TH-origin entries. See the scope and calculation method.
Which covered markets grew fastest in 2025?
Antimony, barley and nitrile compounds lead when ranked by the percentage increase in import value. The US$10 million threshold applies to both years to limit very small starting values dominating the comparison. Read each growth rate alongside its 2024 starting value and 2025 market size.
Table 1 · Top 10 by percentage growth. US$ million, except percentage columns. On small screens, scroll the table sideways.
| Market / HS4 | 2024 value | 2025 value | Value change | Dollar increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AntimonyHS 8110 | 116.0 | 548.3 | +372.7% | +432.3 |
| BarleyHS 1003 | 11.2 | 42.0 | +275.9% | +30.8 |
| Nitrile CompoundsHS 2926 | 59.9 | 171.3 | +185.9% | +111.4 |
| Reclaimed RubberHS 4003 | 12.7 | 27.7 | +117.1% | +14.9 |
| Pig IronHS 7201 | 27.4 | 56.6 | +106.4% | +29.2 |
| RiceHS 1006 | 12.9 | 26.2 | +103.4% | +13.3 |
| SulphurHS 2503 | 10.8 | 20.4 | +89.2% | +9.6 |
| Alkali & Rare-Earth MetalsHS 2805 | 18.6 | 35.0 | +88.6% | +16.5 |
| Cocoa PowderHS 1805 | 97.0 | 181.9 | +87.6% | +84.9 |
| Niobium & Zirconium OresHS 2615 | 58.8 | 99.3 | +68.9% | +40.5 |
TradeScope Asia analysis of all-origin USD totals retrieved 5 September 2026. Market links open report previews, whose origin coverage differs as explained below. Calculations use unrounded values; displayed values are rounded.
Which covered markets added the most import value?
Percentage growth and dollar increases answer different questions. Steel semi-finished products added US$550.1 million, ahead of insulated wire and cable at US$477.4 million. Antimony appears in both rankings: its smaller 2024 base produced a much higher percentage growth rate.
Table 2 · Top 10 by dollar increase. All monetary columns are US$ million.
| Market / HS4 | 2024 value | 2025 value | Increase | Value change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steel Semi-Finished ProductsHS 7207 | 1,069.0 | 1,619.0 | +550.1 | +51.5% |
| Insulated Wire & CableHS 8544 | 2,364.6 | 2,841.9 | +477.4 | +20.2% |
| AntimonyHS 8110 | 116.0 | 548.3 | +432.3 | +372.7% |
| Refined CopperHS 7403 | 3,305.8 | 3,699.6 | +393.8 | +11.9% |
| Steel ScrapHS 7204 | 384.5 | 647.8 | +263.4 | +68.5% |
| MolluscsHS 0307 | 546.7 | 770.3 | +223.6 | +40.9% |
| Copper FoilHS 7410 | 355.7 | 552.9 | +197.3 | +55.5% |
| Fasteners (Screws Bolts Nuts)HS 7318 | 1,046.6 | 1,217.8 | +171.2 | +16.4% |
| Nitrogen FertilizersHS 3102 | 1,073.7 | 1,237.9 | +164.2 | +15.3% |
| Plastic Film Sheets & FoilHS 3920 | 713.2 | 847.1 | +133.9 | +18.8% |
The same 356-market universe and full-year dates apply to both rankings. Dollar increases are not estimates of available sales or market-entry potential.
Does higher import value mean higher demand?
Import value is the amount recorded in nominal US dollars, including cost, insurance and freight. It is affected by physical quantities, prices, exchange rates and the mix of products within an HS heading. This comparison does not separate those effects.
A higher value is therefore insufficient evidence of higher physical demand. Quantity units can differ across products, so this study does not sum quantities or rank markets by physical volume. Product-specific net-weight comparisons are available in the linked report previews, with their stated scope and limitations.
How exporters and procurement teams can use the comparison
- Confirm the HS scope. A four-digit heading can include several products and specifications. Check the linked report’s coverage before treating it as your market.
- Read growth together with size. Use percentage change to spot movement and dollar increases to understand scale. Examine the previous years before assuming a trend will continue.
- Check the buyer and origin evidence. Open the public market preview to see named importers and sourcing context. Evaluate product fit and the report contents before buying detailed research.
The figures describe 2025 activity. They do not forecast 2026 purchases or show that any company is currently seeking a supplier.
Methodology and downloadable data
We screened all 368 published TradeScope Asia product markets as of 5 September 2026. For each distinct four-digit HS heading, we compared complete 2024 and 2025 import-value totals. We retained 356 with at least US$10 million of import value in each year; the remaining 12 fall below the threshold in one or both years. The catalogue is commercially selected and does not cover all Thai imports.
Growth is calculated as (2025 value ÷ 2024 value − 1) × 100. Dollar increase is 2025 value − 2024 value. Rankings use unrounded figures. All comparisons use January–December totals; partial 2026 Snapshot data are excluded.
The comparison uses complete calendar-year, all-origin nominal USD CIF values. Each of the 736 year-and-market totals was checked for date coverage and valid values before applying the same calculations and ranking thresholds.
Origin coverage matters. This analysis includes all origin codes recorded in the underlying import statistics, including Thailand (TH). TradeScope’s product reports exclude TH-origin entries from their sourcing analysis. Their totals can therefore differ from this article; later statistical revisions can also create differences. The report links are for exploring covered products and buyers, while the downloads below contain the market comparison used for these rankings.
The downloads contain the full 368-market comparison, including eligibility flags. HS codes are identifiers: preserve leading zeros when importing the CSV into a spreadsheet. Values were retrieved on 5 September 2026 and frozen for this study. The extract contains market values only. See our report methodology for how buyer estimates differ from official aggregate statistics.
Suggested citation: TradeScope Asia (2026), “Thailand import growth in 2025: a comparison of 356 markets,” published 5 September 2026. Cite this page and retain the 2024–2025 period and catalogue scope.