Thailand pushing for more trade pacts after inking RCEP

By The Nation

 

Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai (Photo credit: The Government House)

 

Thailand will push to enter more free trade agreements after the country and other 14 nations signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) last week, said Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai.

 

He added that Thailand must take the route of multilateral trade since it was a focus of US president-elect Joe Biden.

 

After eight years of negotiating, the 10 Asean countries plus Asia Pacific nations China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand inked the RCEP deal at the 4th RCEP summit on Sunday. The new trading bloc accounts for about 30 per cent of global GDP and about 30 per cent of the world’s population.

 

Meanwhile a House of Representatives committee has completed its study on the pros and cons of joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Don said. This and a similar study by the Commerce Ministry will now be submitted to Cabinet.

 

The CPTPP free trade agreement currently involves 11 countries: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

 

If the Cabinet gives the go-ahead, Thailand will begin talks with each of the existing members and announce its intention to join the pact at the CPTPP annual meeting in August.

 

Don said existing members were open to Thailand joining the pact.

 

He added that CPTPP members were ready to hold a special meeting in June for Thailand to declare its intention to join.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/business/30398046

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-11-17

 

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6 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand will push to enter more free trade agreements after the country and other 14 nations signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) last week, said Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai.

And continue to add luxury taxes on all imports, just so that people in the shops choose the correct products to purchase..

Free trade for our products going to you, but not for your products coming to poor little us, because of our sacred cultural traditions of protectionism and monopoly.

And foolish Australian politicians will continue to remove  import tariffs while Thais will continue to charge import tariffs. Nothing changes except more businesses in Australia will go bust.

If you have trade agreements it needs to be enforced on more than a handshake and a trust me.

ie. Try buying Australian wine in Thailand or for that matter cheese, you will have a heart attack at the prices at least 4 times more than in Australia

Edited November 17, 20205 yr by ellathai

Got news for you, Thailand—no one wants your overpriced junk.  Either fix your outrageously overpriced Baht, or ramp up quality to international standards (and we know that won’t happen).

On the subject of imported Australian wine the moderators don't seem to mind plugs, so here goes.

The best deal I know is a brand called Wolf Blass Eaglehawk which has a Shiraz at 14% and a Chardonnay at 13.5%, both priced at 399 at Foodland and others. Very drinkable. Eaglehawk also has a Cabernet Sauvignon red which in my opinion is as bad as the Shiraz is good. With the exception of a couple not good whites found  sometimes at Villa 33, there is nothing in Bangkok under 399, red or white, that does not say fruit wine product in some way somewhere. Large size containers of various I haven't investigated. I could afford more than 399, but I refuse to support this system any further than what I've named.

2 hours ago, Enzian said:

On the subject of imported Australian wine the moderators don't seem to mind plugs, so here goes.

The best deal I know is a brand called Wolf Blass Eaglehawk which has a Shiraz at 14% and a Chardonnay at 13.5%, both priced at 399 at Foodland and others. Very drinkable. Eaglehawk also has a Cabernet Sauvignon red which in my opinion is as bad as the Shiraz is good. With the exception of a couple not good whites found  sometimes at Villa 33, there is nothing in Bangkok under 399, red or white, that does not say fruit wine product in some way somewhere. Large size containers of various I haven't investigated. I could afford more than 399, but I refuse to support this system any further than what I've named.

We’re down to Aussie wines, now they’ve jacked up Chilean reds that we liked.  Of course Penfolds makes some great wines—but mostly over our budget.  I recommend an Aussie Shiraz with a little kangaroo on the label available at Tesco—sorry I don’t have the name.