Thailand misses chance to join CPTPP this year

By The Nation

 

 

Thailand’s chief trade negotiator said the country had missed its chance to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) this year.

 

Thailand had not applied for membership at yesterday’s (August 5) annual meeting of CPTPP members and would have to wait till next August’s meeting to apply, Trade Negotiations Department director-general Auramon Supthaweethu told the Cabinet.

 

Auramon is also a member of the committee tasked with studying the benefits of CPTPP membership, which she says will boost Thai GDP by 0.12 per cent or Bt13.3 billion with investments up 5.14 per cent and exports up 3.47 per cent, citing a Commerce Ministry study.

 

However, the committee is still split on whether joining the 11-member trade pact will benefit Thailand.

 

“The committee has one common opinion: we will join the CPTPP when we are ready,” said fellow commission member Weerakorn Khampragob.

 

“Therefore, when the director-general of the Department of Trade Negotiations under the Commerce Ministry said that Thailand did not make it in time to join [this year], the committee felt relieved since they haven’t all agreed yet.”

 

Weerakorn cited concerns that farmers would lose out under CPTPP rules which prevent farmers from saving and reusing commercial seed.

 

Prapat Panyachatraksa, chairman of the National Farmers Council, was happy with the result and said Thai farmers were not yet ready to join the trade pact.

 

The committee has been given until September 10 to finish its study on CPTPP membership.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30392552

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-08-07

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Weerakorn cited concerns that farmers would lose out under CPTPP rules which prevent farmers from saving and reusing commercial seed

It goes a lot deeper than that, under the agreement Thailand would have to level the playing field, which up to now in other trade agreements it has totally ignored with import tariffs & luxury taxes to keep a domestic monopoly.

Could imagine them expecting brown envelopes, but none there.

17 hours ago, webfact said:

tasked with studying the benefits of CPTPP membership

 

Expecting brown envelopes but none there. Hopefully next year.

It would put a major dent in under the table cash, and require more transparency-nether of which are they prepared to sacrifice.

Meanwhile the will stick to the norm of going downhill-faster now than before 

No worries, the U.K. are desperate for any trading partner at any cost. Seems curling stones for mail order brides would be a natural 2 way trade between these parties.