Malaysia's Agriculture and Food Security Ministry announced it will require a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) for seabass (siakap) imports from Thailand to ensure food safety and quality standards are met [1, 2, 3]. Starting June 1, 2026, Malaysia will impose a temporary restriction on five shrimp species imported from Thailand. The restricted species are Penaeus esculentes (brown tiger prawn), Fenneropenaeus merguiensis (banana prawn), Penaeus vannamei (whiteleg shrimp), Penaeus monodon (giant tiger prawn), and Penaeus stylirostris (blue shrimp) [1, 2, 3].
The shrimp import restriction will remain in place until Thai authorities provide complete official responses to a questionnaire sent by Malaysia, after which further evaluation will take place [1, 2, 3]. Malaysian authorities said the tighter controls aim to strengthen food safety by ensuring all imported seabass and shrimp meet necessary safety and quality requirements [1, 2, 3].
Implementation of the measures will involve collaboration among the Ministry of Health Food Safety and Quality Programme, Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services (MAQIS), and the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA/AKPS) [1, 2, 3]. Officials noted that these steps are not expected to disrupt the stable supply of seabass and shrimp in Malaysia [1, 2, 3].
The shrimp restrictions take effect June 1, 2026, marking a new phase in Malaysia’s import controls targeted specifically at seafood from Thailand [1, 2, 3].
