Jurin on LA mission to cut tariffs for Thailand’s US-based food factories
The Commerce Ministry is negotiating with the United States to eliminate tariffs on exports of raw materials to Thai food manufacturers based in the US.
Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said on Thursday that Thailand’s manufacturers need to expand their production bases to make Thai food available at the global scale.
Jurin, who doubles as deputy prime minister, was speaking while visiting a factory owned by Overhill Farms, a Los Angeles-based food manufacturer under the Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group.
“Thai dishes highly popular among foreigners include Tom Yum Kung, Tom Kha Kai, Pad Thai, Massaman, Green Curry and Khao Soi,” said Jurin.
These foods meet the global trend for health thanks to their use of natural ingredients and herbs, he said.
“CP now has four food factories in the US, and large corporations need to increase the number of Thai food factories overseas to penetrate the market.”
Jurin added that his ministry is negotiating with US authorities to reduce tariff barriers, to help Thai exporters and foreign importers deliver Thai ingredients to produce Thai foods in foreign markets – especially key ingredients like chicken, eggs and pork.
“The US has more stringent barriers, both tax and non-tax, than the European Union. We will keep negotiating with authorities to make sure that Thai food manufacturers here have the ingredients they need,” he said.
The aim, said Jurin, was for Thai foods to become global foods in line with the government’s policy of promoting Thailand as a “Kitchen of the World”.
