Respect goes both ways

Fishy barrier: Seafood on sale in a market near Bangkok. Thailand claims illegal substances are used in rearing Malaysian shrimp so it stopped imports, yet other countries Malaysia exports to have no complaints. — LAUREN DECICCA/© 2026 The New York Times Company

IN 2017, Malaysia’s shrimp exports were banned from entering Thailand. The reason? Malay-sian farmers were accused of using illegal food substances in shrimp-rearing.

Malaysia should have protested back then and escalated the matter to the World Trade Organi-sation (WTO) for unfair trade practice on Thailand’s part. But it didn’t, and the reasons for the lack of action are best known to the government then.