On December 9th, 2025, BCI President James Christie met with visiting officials from Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (TDFA). The Thai officials were in California as part of a trip organized by the US Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Their objective was to learn more about U.S. import requirements as TFDA is developing their inspection requirements for imported produce. The Thai delegation was led by the second highest ranking official in TFDA and the visit provided opportunity to facilitate greater harmonization between the U.S. and Thai import systems to increase U.S. agriculture exports to Thailand per the recent U.S.-Thailand Framework for an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade.
The meeting included a visit to a California fruit packing facility followed by a presentation on how the industry complies with international regulations. Discussion focused on international pesticide maximum residue standards and phytosanitary requirements.