Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Thailand News and Discussion Forum | ASEANNOW

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Thai govt aims to shore up trade with US

Featured Replies

USTR
Govt aims to shore up trade with US

Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation

30273766-01_big.jpg
Suvit

BANGKOK: -- The government is attempting to protect Thailand's trade benefits with the United States after the US Trade Representative announced it would investigate labour practices in the Kingdom.

The USTR is slated to begin a special investigation into Thailand's reported use of forced labour in January. The USTR may cut tariff privileges for Thailand, after recently extending the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) for the Kingdom to more than 3,000 items.

In response to a claim by the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisations, Deputy Commerce Minister Suvit Maesincee said yesterday that Thailand would prove to the US that the government and the private sector had stringently taken action against the practice of forced and illegal labour.

He said the US should have observed the country's serious attempt to solve the problem.

The USTR's special investigation is expected take up to three years.

The Labour Ministry will submit a report to the USTR on the actions taken to tackle the problem.

Economy getting stronger

Suvit said trade between Thailand and the US should not be affected as Thai and American traders normally had a close cooperation in terms of inspecting one another's operations. With the US economy getting stronger, Thai shipments to that country should increase gradually next year, he said.

Asked about the chances of Thailand joining the planned Trans-Pacific Partnership, Suvit said the Commerce Ministry was gathering information on the matter that would be proposed at the international trade committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha next Friday.

The US is Thailand's second-largest export market after Asean. The value of Thai shipments to the US expanded 2.3 per cent year on year in the first 10 months to US$20.2 billion (Bt722 billion).

In July, Washington agreed to offer tax privileges for 3,400 Thai items for four years and five months.

Thailand is second after India in terms of benefiting the most from the United States' GSP scheme. Thailand exports to the US under the GSP were worth $3.48 billion last year, or 18.67 per cent of the total privileges that Thailand got from the US.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Govt-aims-to-shore-up-trade-with-US-30273766.html

nationlogo.jpg
-- The Nation 2015-11-27

Isn't "trade" meant to be two ways? Does Thailand allow many imports? Seems to me that the Thai mindset of trade is: we'll send you items, and you send us money. This place is froth with monopolies which drastically effects "ordinary" people while bringing more wealth to the "special" people.

Isn't "trade" meant to be two ways? Does Thailand allow many imports? Seems to me that the Thai mindset of trade is: we'll send you items, and you send us money. This place is froth with monopolies which drastically effects "ordinary" people while bringing more wealth to the "special" people.

Yeah, Malaysia is the same way.

Thailand, I fear, might be about to find out the true price of buying submarines, railroads, and other items from China.

Will this be before or after they sort out the EU mess.

Actually, Thailand does quite well in terms of bilateral trade:

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/thailand/balance-of-trade

Thanks for that. I bet the sum of imported luxury cars adds up quickly.

3,400 items ? I didn't know Thailand made that many things. Well done Thailand.

"The USTR's special investigation is expected take up to three years."

Does this basically give Thailand a free pass for the next three years to prove the effectiveness of its alleged reforms?

The Tier Report is due out this month but it will not reflect the numerous government's actions taken this year on labor practices. That would give the USA an opportunity to delay punishing Thailand with higher tariffs.

Create an account or sign in to comment

Recently Browsing 0

  • No registered users viewing this page.

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.