The first commercial shipment of Italian apples to Thailand has arrived in the country, marking the latest step in a process of significant expansion for Italy’s fruit export business in Asia. The consignment of Marlene-branded apples was welcomed by representatives from the Italian embassy in Thailand, including ambassador Lorenzo Galanti, on its arrival at CityFresh Fruit Center, a distribution facility located on the outskirts of northern Bangkok.
Italy’s apple exporters gained access to Thailand in April 2020, a breakthrough which followed a similar opening of the Vietnamese market and the subsequent arrival of the first ever shipment to that country just a month earlier. Since then, Taiwan has also opened its doors to Italian apples, bringing to three the number of new markets available to exporters in the 2020/21 season. The trio of successes in Asia has been heralded as a triumph of team collaboration, with the involvement of several different groups – including embassies, government and export promoter Ice, as well as industry groups Assomela and CSO Italy.