CLMV urged to lower regional import duties to zero by 2015

CHIANGMAI, 28 June 2014 (NNT) – The 15th Coordinating Committee on ATIGA (the Asean Trade in Goods Agreement) was held between June 9th and 13th, 2014 in Chiang Mai.

Somkiat Triratpan, deputy director-general of the Trade Negotiations Department, said that the ASEAN members discussed lowering import duties to zero from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) by 2015, as another six countries have implemented a zero tax rate since 2010.

Also, the forum discussed safeguard measures affecting imports and exports in the region. Thailand's representatives raised the issue of horticultural crops controlled by Indonesia. Meantime, Indonesian representatives raised the issue of Indonesia’s coffee limitations in Malaysia, while Cambodia and Laos said that their maize feeds have been barred by Thailand so they cannot export their maize produce to Thailand.

With the clear goal to facilitate trading and promote the free flow of goods, ASEAN negotiated the possibility of introducing a self-certification system for the Certificate of Origin. The pilot project undertaken by Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand has been operating since 2010. Eighty-three Thai exporters have already attended the self-certification project. The second project will see the participation of Indonesia, Laos and the Philippines.

Meanwhile, ASEAN has initiated an ASEAN Trade Repository for the purpose of compiling information on trade measures adopted the members. It is slated to be completed during 2015, in line with the commencement of AEC.

-- NNT 2014-06-28

Be nice if they considered reducing automobile import duty from 300%, for the legitimates of us of course.

LOL many say Thailand has a street sign named after it. lol

we need some better imported craft beers too....

Can see that hurting Thailand. All those vehicle bolted together here, imported from Japan and China, so they get under the silly import taxes and come off Thailand's import cap in the USA/EU rather than Japan/China's. Cheaper still to do that in Cambodia and ship them to Thailand tax free as needed. Other makers can set up much easier in countries like Cambodia - start pack-building European/American cars and Bikes using cheap labour and with little problems from the authorities - and then ship as Cambodian manufactured to LoS tax free!

Consolidation across ASEAN for many manufacturers (Vietnam is a big contender already) - low cost labour bidding war on the horizon?