Thai experts discuss pros and cons of TPP trade deal

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Experts discuss pros and cons of TPP trade deal
NOPHAKHUN LIMSAMARNPHUN
THE NATION

OFFICIALS FEAR IMPACT ON EXPORTS, IF THEY ARE NOT PART OF FTA

BANGKOK: -- THAILAND may have to consider joining the US-led 12-country Trans- Pacific Partnership (TPP) free-trade agreement in order to boost its international competitiveness for exports and foreign direct investment, top academics and government officials say.

Kejpiroon Kohsuwan, a senior trade negotiator at the Commerce Ministry, said the TPP free-trade agreement, which currently excludes Thailand, would negatively affect the export sector and foreign investment in the years after it is implemented.

Speaking at a seminar entitled "TPP Vs Asean: Thailand's and Asean's Position," Kejpiroon, who is also director of Bureau of America, Pacific and International Organisations at the Department of Trade Negotiations, said Thailand has free-trade deals with all but three member countries - the US, Canada and Mexico.

A preliminary study shows that TPP's rules of origin of goods traded among member countries, which also consist of Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Australia, Chile, Japan, New Zealand and Peru, would also hurt Thailand's exports of upstream and intermediate products.

As a result, this could lead to the relocation of factories for downstream products from Thailand to other countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam, which are TPP member countries.

Kejpiroon said Thai and foreign investors would be tempted to move their factories out of Thailand due to TPP's tax and rules-of-origin benefits.

Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak said earlier that the government is awaiting an in-depth study on the TPP's pros and cons before making a decision about joining the FTA grouping.

It will take another year for the TPP agreement to be ratified by the governments of the 12 member countries.

Kejpiroon said one of the first detailed studies would be completed in January 2016.

At present, Thailand is a member of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) framework, another FTA of 10-country Asean plus China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. A comparison shows that TPP member countries have a combined GDP of US$28.3 trillion compared to RCEP's $22.8 trillion, representing 38 per cent and 29 per cent of world GDP, respectively.

Dr Prapat Thepchatree, director of Thammasat's Centre for Asean Studies, said Thailand may have to join both FTA frameworks to avoid losing the benefits of TPP membership.

However, he said, the country should give more weight to RCEP and keep other options open because regional FTA arrangements would become more complex in the future.

Kejpiroon said the automotive, textile and food industries could be among those hit by not being in the TPP. Both Malaysia and Vietnam, who are members of TPP and RCEP, would have an advantage in terms of attracting foreign direct investment in the future.

But she said Thailand also had to study the potential negative consequences of TPP membership.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Experts-discuss-pros-and-cons-of-TPP-trade-deal-30271577.html

-- The Nation 2015-10-26

[terryp]

Experts !!! ... to even think about it shows how dumb they are, I bet most of them dont even know when it was even put together or what TTP stands for (its not a thai company )

>>>>>Agenda 21 anyone

[GlobalCtzn]

The TPP is not a trade deal……………...

[Seastallion]

My strong advice to these experts: Scrutinise very closely all clauses written by the US. Consider very carefully all clauses included by the US that have any hint of ambiguity.

If Thailand signs this agreement, Thailand will become subservient to US corporations, and even the Thai judiciary will become servants of foreign money interests....with no kickbacks either!

Edited October 26, 2015 by Seastallion

[retarius]

Thai companies giving kickbacks may well face 'US justice' under FCPA as it extends its hegemony to 12 more countries if US companies lose contracts.

[VIPinthailand]

corporates need more debt slaves.

show them the American dream, and they all fall for the catch. people are becoming so dumb these days. the want all for cheap, but have no job to pay back their debt.

these free trades are simply not working for us. China is going down because the world is buying less. why we buy less? because we are all broke...

[cameraman888]

It's another deal where the U.S. Corporations want control of more countries. They already own the United States and are hungry for more power and money. Its a shame and a sham for countries to join because it hurts the ordinary citizen more than anyone else. World domination by Corporations.

[elgordo38]

corporates need more debt slaves.

show them the American dream, and they all fall for the catch. people are becoming so dumb these days. the want all for cheap, but have no job to pay back their debt.

these free trades are simply not working for us. China is going down because the world is buying less. why we buy less? because we are all broke...

When peoples dumbness really shines is at election time. They are being swayed by Fox News and other right wing wing nuts that spout the Republican mantra day and night. The Republicans are so intent on shooting down HRC in advance of the presidential election because they know the Dems have no depth on their presidential bench and they must find all the skeletons in her closet and trust me we all have them. If one of these anti abortion anti Planned Parenthood anti food stamps pro war nut bars gets to be president to form a Republican troika with the house and senate look out working stiffs because these guys are in hip pocket of the "for a better American" fruit cakes that want to rake in more money pay less taxes in the US forget what they are hiding abroad. They want to eliminate unions build up the war machines and then find another yellow cake target like Iraq and Saddam Hussein to invade. Look out for the 4 horsemen.

[Shaunduhpostman]

Joining the TPP will cede much of Thailand's sovreignty to closed door corporate appointed tribunals. If the European-US version of the same thing, the TTIP, is any indication, Thailand will have to start cedeing authority to the TTP corporate group just to begin talks and negotiations.

There was an article in the English language Thai press last week that, in contradiction to their current trade laws, the European UNion has already just recently had their arms twisted into allowing tar sand based petroleum imports, 5 different GMO products and a chemical treatment on imported meat that disguises the real appearance of the meat. The reason? The claim in the article was that if they didn't allow these violations that negotiations and talks would be suspended.

I don't think the Junta would be happy with the very heavy handed nature of the TPP. But I suppose if they stand to gain enough personally, then Bob's your cleaning lady.

[elgordo38]

It's another deal where the U.S. Corporations want control of more countries. They already own the United States and are hungry for more power and money. Its a shame and a sham for countries to join because it hurts the ordinary citizen more than anyone else. World domination by Corporations.

You and VIP did not get any likes except for mine at this time. I can only get it to register once. Mores the pity. We live under a dream dome made of a fragile material called hope and hope wanes thin at the present. Look out for punctures.

[elgordo38]

Joining the TPP will cede much of Thailand's sovreignty to closed door corporate appointed tribunals. If the European-US version of the same thing, the TTIP, is any indication, Thailand will have to start cedeing authority to the TTP corporate group just to begin talks and negotiations.

There was an article in the English language Thai press last week that, in contradiction to their current trade laws, the European UNion has already just recently had their arms twisted into allowing tar sand based petroleum imports, 5 different GMO products and a chemical treatment on imported meat that disguises the real appearance of the meat. The reason? The claim in the article was that if they didn't allow these violations that negotiations and talks would be suspended.

I don't think the Junta would be happy with the very heavy handed nature of the TPP. But I suppose if they stand to gain enough personally, then Bob's your cleaning lady.

When you say gain enough personally your talking about a handful of people the lever pullers. The slave base would expand exponentially. At this point one must be careful so that the slaves have enough credit to buy the fruits of their labor. Otherwise the game plan falls apart.

[Stan7444]

It's another deal where the U.S. Corporations want control of more countries. They already own the United States and are hungry for more power and money. Its a shame and a sham for countries to join because it hurts the ordinary citizen more than anyone else. World domination by Corporations.

Exactly right. I have been following this TPP issue for over one year and the bottom line is that it benefits mostly the large multinational corporations and NOT the mom & pop shops or even the middle tier corporations, focused primarily upon business in the US. It is a vehicle, per the article above, for these multinationals to build their factories in other cheap labour countries such as Thailand, taking away jobs from the US, which is one of the reasons the US worker is in such dire straights the past decade or more with the jobs salaries essentially declining in spite of the decreased unemployment, which is primarily to do with people who have given up looking for jobs, and underemployment with a university graduate taking a job in a restaurant just to make money to support a family. Also, this is why the US trade unions do not want TPP and guess which political party is supported by the unions. Hilliary was one of the original supporters and architects of TPP while SoS and now she is dead against it (surprise) not to lose support of the unions and other non-union workers. There is a good chance that when a Republican takes over the WH next year before the TPP can be enacted, it will be cancelled, especially if Trump gets the WH with his anti-corporations moving out of the US position, which has a lot of merit. The US is quickly becoming a "services" nation and not a manufacturing nation anymore. Guess the "Go Green" people, which are also Democratic Party members, would like this to save the environment.