Govt set to restart international trade talks after long hiatus, Kittiratt says
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The government is once again geared towards trade negotiations with other countries after pausing for six or seven years, says Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong, pointing to the necessity of proceeding with such talks with the European Union.
After a meeting of the International Economic Policy Committee (IEPC), he said restarting trade negotiations already approved by the Cabinet and Parliament would benefit the country’s economy.
Thailand needs to negotiate with the EU, which has been establishing trade frameworks with other countries in Southeast and East Asia, Kittiratt said.
However, he insisted that products that affect health such as alcoholic drinks and tobacco would be excluded from the talks, as would other products that could be disadvantageous to Thais.
Thai Trade Representative president Olarn Chaipravat, who leads the Europe-Thai negotiation mission, has held discussions with concerned people and has insisted protections on such issues would remain in place.
Kittiratt said the IEPC meeting agreed that the views of the private sector and the public at large should be considered before each round of trade negotiation.
