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Thai private sector wants progress on EU free trade deal


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Thai private sector wants progress on EU free trade deal

By The Nation

 

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Trade Negotiations Department director general Auramon Supthaweethum

 

The private sector has urged the government to resume talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU).

 

Thai Chamber of Commerce vice chairman Chusak Chuenprayoth said that members supported resumption of the talks and did not want to see any further delays to the FTA, which would benefit the country.

 

He admitted the FTA would impact some Thai businesses, but said they should hurry to adjust their operations to comply with export requirements and standards under the planned agreement.

 

Waiving trade tariffs under the EU FTA would boost Thailand’s economy by 1.28 per cent or Bt200 billion, said Trade Negotiations Department director general Auramon Supthaweethum, citing a study by the Institute of Future Studies for Development.

 

Findings from a public hearing on the FTA, including concerns at its impact and proposed remedial measures, will be put to Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit in mid-October, Auramon said.

 

It should be clear by the end of this year whether Thailand is ready to resume talks with EU, she added.

 

The EU has already signed free trade deals with Singapore and Vietnam and is in talks for a deal with Indonesia. It has suspended talks with Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines. Talks with Thailand that began in 2013 were suspended in 2014 following the military coup.

 

Thailand has so far signed 13 free trade accords with 18 countries – Asean partner countries, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Peru.

 

Trade with these 18 partners last year accounted for 62.8 per cent of Thailand’s total global trade.

 

The EU is currently Thailand’s fifth largest trading partner, after Asean, China, Japan and the US. It is the fifth largest investor in Thailand after Japan, China, Asean, and Taiwan.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/business/30394964

 

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-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-09-23
 
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An FTA between a protectionist bloc and a protectionist country doesn't bode well - and at the best of times, the EU rarely finishes any of these things within a decade.

 

On the other hand the UK has done a deal with Japan in record time. Using that as a template, a Thai/UK deal could probably be put to bed very quickly also..

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Well then, EU should press for advantages. How about amity treaty for EU citizens, 100% company ownership, reciprocity in permanent residence rules, right to own land, no work permit necessary for permanent residents and some such tiny little details.

 

Thais will try to get a lopsided deal, should be made clear who's got the leverage right from the start.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Go Germany.

 

https://www.thaienquirer.com/19479/germany-considers-halting-fta-negotiations-with-thailand-over-suppresion-of-democracy/

Quote

Germany is considering a proposal to halt free trade talks between the European Union and Thailand due to the Thai government’s undemocratic practices, according to debate within the Bundestag this week.

 

Drive it to the hilt.

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17 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Cambodia have been trying to get a FTA with EU for many years now.  They keep getting shut down because EU says that the Cambodian PM is not democratic and that he uses the courts to hunt down political dissidents and banning opposition party's from politics. 

 

Sounds familiar? 

 

 

Edited by Okis
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