Livestock chief: Be cautious before joining TPP

[webfact]

Livestock chief: Be cautious before joining TPP

BANGKOK: -- The Ministry of Commerce has been advised to hold talks with member states of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) before joining the trade pact, to ensure that Thai business operators will not be put at a disadvantage.

At a seminar on the future of Thai livestock in connection with the Asean Economic Community (Aec) and international trading, Ayuth Harintharanon, the director-general of the Department of Livestock Development, said becoming a TPP member poses both an opportunity and a challenge to Thailand.

Mr Ayuth said the Commerce Ministry should first hold talks with TPP member states so Thai business operators have more time to adapt and will not be put at a disadvantage, because major foreign traders would quickly export their products to Thailand, pressing small Thai businesses to close down consequently.

The ministry may look into the negotiation framework between Thailand and Malaysia, which stipulates that the country can only export 1% of its livestock to Thailand.

In the TPP, Thailand's livestock sector has a trade deficit of 38 billion baht a year. As for the Asean and the Asean+6, the deficit stood at 76 billion baht a year.

-- NNT 2016-03-18

[SoFarAndNear]

Mr Ayuth said the Commerce Ministry should first hold talks with TPP member states so Thai business operators have more time to adapt and will not be put at a disadvantage, because major foreign traders would quickly export their products to Thailand, pressing small Thai businesses to close down consequently.

This is exactly what it is. TIP and TTIP is just global race to the bottom to boost the profits of large corporations where local businesses have no chance to compete.

[webfact]

Commerce told to take cautious steps before joining TPP



BANGKOK: -- The Department of Livestock For Development has warned the Ministry of Commerce to take cautious steps before reaching any decision to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as it will seriously hurt the Thai livestock industry.

The warning came as relevant Government agencies and the private sectors met to discuss the issue at a seminar themed “The future of Thai livestock in connection with the Asean Economic Community (AEC) and international trading.”

According to the National.News Bureau of Thailand (NNT), the seminar was aimed at discussing both advantages and disadvantages of entering the TPP.

At the seminar, the Ministry of Commerce was told to hold talks with member states of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) before joining the trade pact, to ensure that Thai business operators will not be put at a disadvantage.

At the seminar, director-general of the Department of Livestock Development Mr Ayuth Harintharanon said becoming a TPP member posed both an opportunity and a challenge to Thailand.

He said the Commerce Ministry should first hold talks with TPP member states so Thai business operators have more time to adapt and will not be put at a disadvantage, because major foreign traders would quickly export their products to Thailand, pressing small Thai businesses to close down consequently.

He suggested that the ministry may look into the negotiation framework between Thailand and Malaysia, which stipulates that the country can only export 1% of its livestock to Thailand.

In the TPP, Thailand’s livestock sector has a trade deficit of 38 billion baht a year.

As for the Asean and the Asean+6, the deficit stood at 76 billion baht a year.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/155735


-- Thai PBS 2016-03-18

[bark]

Mr Ayuth said the Commerce Ministry should first hold talks with TPP member states so Thai business operators have more time to adapt and will not be put at a disadvantage, because major foreign traders would quickly export their products to Thailand, pressing small Thai businesses to close down consequently.

This is exactly what it is. TIP and TTIP is just global race to the bottom to boost the profits of large corporations where local businesses have no chance to compete.

Only countries that cannot do good, will make it work, but if they do good, if will never work . Right ! Saying on Fruit Loops box.

[gandalf12]

I thought they had already signed up to it

[khwaibah]

I thought they had already signed up to it

Thailand has not signed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Pacific_Partnership

[khwaibah]

I thought they had already signed up to it

Thailand has not signed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Pacific_Partnership

[sgtsabai]

It is not a done deal and hopefully it will never be a done deal. This has nothing to do with trade, only control by multinational corporations at the expense of middle/working class people every where.

[rickirs]

TPP membership is an all or nothing trade agreement. A member nation cannot pick and choose what products or economic sectors will be freely traded and those that will continue to enjoy protective high tariffs. Thailand must decide whether to export products from high value, high revenue industries at the cost of losing competitiveness in lower value, low revenue industries. PTT will force members to realign nations to more effective global competition.

Case in point if Thailand doesn't join:

TPP member Mexico has called for a TPP "rule of origins" that would prohibit TPP members from sourcing products from non-TPP countries. Japan, a major player in the TPP, buys lots of automobile parts from Thailand. If the TPP's rule of origins kicks in, Japan will have to look elsewhere (Mexico?) for automobile parts suppliers and shift its investments in this sector away from Thailand. Would the loss of manufacturing Japanese auto parts be worth the cost to protect Thailand's current livestock industry?

Deputy PM for Economic Affairs favors joining PTT.

Japanese investors urge Thailand to join PTT to attract Japanese investment flows.

Chairman of the Thai National Shippers Council Nopporn Thepsithar favors joining PTT.

The Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Thai Industries and the Thai Bankers’ Association favor joining the TPP.

Commerce vice-minister Winichai Chaemchaeng favors joining PTT.

[Balance]

It is not a done deal and hopefully it will never be a done deal. This has nothing to do with trade, only control by multinational corporations at the expense of middle/working class people every where.

The opportunity is to use TPP to aggregate small operators into large cooperatives so that they can really compete, not only in the commodity side of export commodities, but also allow them to develop value-added products that bring much higher prices for export and for domestic consumption. A good example is the exportation of Kobi beef from Japan, or perhaps simply organic, grass fed beef and other livestock.

The challenge is organizational and the willingness of the small operators to accept change. If they do not, they will not fare well.

[Lunchbob]

If China does not join what fool country would?

[gandalf12]

I thought they had already signed up to it

Thailand has not signed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Pacific_Partnership

ok. I thought I read somewhere at the end of last year that they were due to sign in January this year. I agree they shouldn't as it will be a disaster but politicians do as they want the world over