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Industry 04 · Food & Beverage
Good Products Travel. Good Brands Stay.
Snacks, beverages, coffee and tea, dairy, confectionery, sauces and specialty ingredients: food and beverage brands expand into Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and the UAE on taste, trust and timing. BorderNex takes care of registration, the channel plan and the brand so you can concentrate on the product.
Why this industry
Why food and beverage brands expand here
Eating out, snacking and café culture are daily habits across our markets, and an imported product carries a premium story when it is presented well. Thailand's mature modern trade, Vietnam's shift to modern retail and the UAE's fast delivery expectations all open shelf and screen space to new brands, while Thailand's 35.5 million international visitors in 2024 (Ministry of Tourism & Sports, actual) add an audience beyond residents.
There is also a regional logic. Thailand is a regional logistics hub and Dubai is a re-export and brand-launch gateway to the GCC: a well-run first market can supply the next.
- Ambient, chilled and frozen formats
- Coffee, tea and soft beverages
- Snacks and confectionery
- Sauces, condiments and ingredients
- Dairy and plant-based alternatives
- Premium and specialty foods
Channel structure
Routes to the consumer
Most food brands open two routes at once: a retail listing for visibility and volume, and a foodservice or online route for trial. The right importer serves both.
Modern trade & convenience
Supermarkets, hypermarkets and convenience chains with central listing, planograms and formal trade terms.
HORECA & specialty
Cafés, restaurants, hotels and gourmet retailers, usually served by importers who specialise in foodservice.
Online grocery & quick commerce
Marketplace grocery, brand stores and app-based delivery for trial, bundles and repeat purchase.
Travel retail & re-export
Airport and tourist retail in Thailand; Dubai as a gateway for onward distribution across the GCC.
Market-entry realities
Before the first container leaves
Food is a regulated category in every one of our markets. These four areas decide the timeline and the shelf price, so we settle them before a launch date is set.
Food registration and import licensing
Imported food and beverage products must be registered with the national food authority, normally through a licensed local importer who acts as the responsible party. Supplements, infant nutrition and alcohol carry additional requirements and longer timelines.
Labelling, shelf life and cold chain
Local-language labels with nutrition, allergen and importer details are mandatory. Retailers require a minimum remaining shelf life on arrival, and chilled or frozen ranges need a verified cold chain from port to shelf.
Category-specific rules
Halal certification matters to many buyers in Thailand and is central in the UAE; sugar-sweetened beverages are subject to excise in Thailand; alcohol advertising is tightly restricted in several of our markets. Each shapes the range and the campaign.
Duties and the price corridor
Import duties on finished food products can be significant and depend on origin and applicable trade agreements. Landed cost, importer and retailer margins and promotion funding have to leave a shelf price that works for the category.
Relevant solutions
What BorderNex does for food and beverage brands
We plan and coordinate the route to market and run it with you. BorderNex is a fee-based partner: not your importer of record, not a freight forwarder and never the owner of your stock.
Market Entry & Expansion Strategy
Registration route, duty and landed-cost view, channel sequence and a go / no-go recommendation for your range.
Distributor & Partner Development
Importers with the right licences, cold-chain capability and retail or foodservice coverage, qualified and introduced.
Retail & Offline Activation
Listings, in-store sampling, tastings, trade fairs and launch events coordinated on the ground.
Branding, Marketing & PR
Localised brand story, compliant packaging communication and launch campaigns that explain why the product is worth its price.
E-Commerce & Social Commerce
Marketplace grocery and brand stores run daily, with bundles, subscriptions and creator content where the category allows.
Fulfillment & Logistics Coordination
Warehousing, order flow and delivery coordinated with your importer and partners, including chilled and frozen handling.
Target markets
Which markets suit a food and beverage launch
Thailand is our primary market and operating hub and Vietnam is run by our own team. The Philippines and the UAE are delivered through qualified local partners under BorderNex coordination.
Mature modern trade, strong café and street-food culture, a large tourist audience and a regional logistics base for serving neighbouring markets.
VietnamOperating marketA young, urbanising population moving to modern retail and mobile-first commerce; growing appetite for imported snacks, dairy and beverages.
PhilippinesPartner-supportedA large English-speaking consumer market with remittance-supported consumption and retail concentrated in Metro Manila.
Dubai, UAEPartner-supportedHigh-income expatriate consumers, fast delivery expectations and a re-export gateway to the GCC; halal and labelling rules apply from day one.
How to begin
Start with the product file, not the pallet
- Share the rangeProduct list with ingredients, shelf life and storage requirements, current price structure and the markets you sell in today.
- Receive a food and beverage read-outRegistration route and indicative timeline per market, duty and landed-cost view, channel options, importer criteria and a go / no-go recommendation.
- Agree the scope and launchA Service Agreement names the solutions, fees and your BorderNex lead. Importer selection, registration and first listings follow a ninety-day roadmap.
Related
Keep exploring
Ready to bring your products to new tables?
Tell us what you make, how it is stored and where it sells today. We come back with the registration route, the channel plan and what the first ninety days cost.