{"version":"https:\/\/jsonfeed.org\/version\/1","title":"FTAs","home_page_url":"https:\/\/www.dtn.go.th","feed_url":"https:\/\/www.dtn.go.th\/en\/content\/categories\/index\/id\/1986","items":[{"id":"db540d1515c402405ac4139d333a9064","title":"Negotiation Meetings under FTAs Between Thailand and Dialogue Partners","content_text":"

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Signing of the 4th Additional Protocol to the Protocol Between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Republic of Peru<\/span> <\/span><\/strong>to Accelerate the Liberalization of Trade in Goods and Trade Facilitation on 21 May 2022. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce (H.E. Mr. Jurin Laksanawisit) witnessed the signing of the 4th Additional Protocol to the Protocol Between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Republic of Peru to Accelerate the Liberalization of Trade in Goods and Trade Facilitation at the Centara Grand at Central World Hotel, Bangkok, with Deputy Minister of Commerce (H.E. Dr. Sansern Samalapa) and Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade of Peru (Ms. Ana Cecilia Gervasi Diaz) as the signatories. The 4th Protocol aimed to
\r\n     1) Amend the process to support the issuance of a Certificate of Origin using Electronic Signature and Seal (ESS).
\r\n     2) Amend the article on Rules of Origins to be in line with the current and future trade context.
\r\n     3) Amend the Product-Specific Rules of Origin to be in line with the Harmonized System 2017.
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Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement Joint Commission (TAFTA JC) Meeting <\/span><\/strong>on 2 March 2023 at Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand. Both sides discussed various important issues, such as the implementation of the TAFTA agreement. The discussion focused especially on the update to the customs tariffs for product-specific rules to be consistent with the current harmonised system, the continuation of the agricultural cooperation project, and consideration of the sanitary inspection and certification to facilitate agricultural trade between both sides. There was also a discussion on developing cooperation to fulfil labour needs in various areas, as well as reviewing the TAFTA agreement that has been in effect for more than 19 years and driving the economic cooperation strategy to achieve concrete outcomes with the involvement of the private sector.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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A discussion between the Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiations (Mrs. Auramon Supthaweethum) and the Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of New Zealand (Ms. Mary Thurston) (via video conference)<\/span> <\/strong>on 4 October 2021. The key points of discussion were:
\r\n     1) Thailand-New Zealand trade situation and actions to revitalize the economy.
\r\n     2) On Thailand's preparations to host APEC in 2022, New Zealand indicated her support for Thailand to host APEC. Thailand will push forward the agendas on trade and investment facilitation, movement of essential goods, driving the establishment of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), and the concept of Bio-Circular-Green Economy (BCG Economy).
\r\n     3) Progress under the RCEP agreement.
\r\n     4) Progress under the CPTPP Agreement.
\r\n    5) On the opening of the onion market under the Thailand-New Zealand Closer Economic Partnership (TNZCEP), Thailand announced that the meeting of the Committee on Policy and Development of the Agricultural and Cooperatives reached a decision on 30 September 2021 to approve the cancellation of import rules for onion products from New Zealand that specified that onion products can only be imported for production\/processing purposes. Nevertheless, Thailand was still undergoing internal processes that were expected to be completed by October 2021.<\/span>
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The Launch of Thailand–EU FTA Negotiations <\/strong><\/span>On 25 January 2023 in the Kingdom of Belgium, both sides have expressed their mutual intention to initiate the relevant internal processes and complete them as soon as possible. Later, on 30 January 2023, the Department of Trade Negotiations held a meeting with the relevant stakeholders including the public, private, agricultural, and academic sectors, as well as the civil society to draft the Thailand-European Union FTA negotiation framework at the Ministry of Commerce and via videoconference.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n


\r\nThe Thai Cabinet Approved the Negotiations for the Thailand-EU FTA<\/strong><\/span> on 14 February 2023. The Cabinet approved (1) Thailand's participation in the negotiations for a free trade agreement with the European Union; (2) The framework for negotiating the Thailand-European Union Free Trade Agreement (3) The Minister of Commerce or an assigned representative to participate in a joint announcement or to issue a statement to launch the negotiations of the Thailand-European Union Free Trade Agreement.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n


\r\nAnnouncement on the Launch of Negotiations for the Thailand–EU FTA (via videoconference) <\/strong><\/span>on 15 March 2023 at the Ministry of Commerce, Thailand. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce (H.E. Mr. Jurin Laksanawisit) met with the Vice-President of the European Commission for Economic Affairs and the European Trade Commissioner (Mr. Valdis Dombrovskis) to jointly announced the launch of negotiations for Thailand-EU FTA.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n


\r\nMeeting between the Head of Unit for South and Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Directorate-General for Trade, European Commission and Chief Negotiator for the European Union (Mr. Christophe Kiener) and Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiations (Mrs. Auramon Supthaweethum)<\/strong><\/span> on 18 July 2023 in Bangkok. The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: The establishment of 19 sub-working groups including: 1) Trade in goods; 2) Rules of origin; 3) Customs procedures and trade facilitation; 4) Trade remedies; 5) Technical barriers to trade; 6) Sanitary and phytosanitary measures; 7) Trade in services and investment; 8) Digital trade; 9) Government procurement; 10) Intellectual property; 11) Competition; 12) State enterprises; 13) SMEs; 14) Energy and raw materials; 15) Trade and development; 16) Sustainable food systems; 17) Transparency and good regulatory practices; 18) Dispute settlement; and 19) Preamble, general provisions, final provisions, institutional provisions and exceptions. In addition, the meeting schedule was set to launch the negotiations, with the European Union hosting the first negotiations round in September 2023 in Brussels. Belgium. Thailand will then host the second negotiation round in January 2024. Both sides aimed to conclude the negotiations by 2025.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n


\r\nThe 1st Negotiation Round for the Thailand – EU FTA<\/strong><\/span> between 18 – 22 September 2023 in Brussels, Belgium. The Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiations (Mrs. Auramon Supthaweethum), as the head of the Thai delegation, and the Head of Unit for South and Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Directorate-General for Trade, European Commission and Head of Delegation for the European Union (Mr. Christophe Kiener), as the head of the EU delegation attended the meeting. The main outcomes from the meeting are as follows: This meeting consisted of a chief negotiator meeting and 19 sub-working groups meetings at the expert level including 1) Trade in goods; 2) Rules of origin; 3) Customs procedures and trade facilitation; 4) Trade remedies; 5) Technical barriers to trade; 6) Sanitary and phytosanitary measures; 7) Trade in services and investment; 8) Digital trade; 9) Government procurement; 10) Intellectual property; 11) Competition; 12) State enterprises; 13) SMEs; 14) Energy and raw materials; 15) Trade and development; 16) Sustainable food systems; 17) Transparency and good regulatory practices; 18) Dispute settlement; and 19) Preamble, general provisions, final provisions, institutional provisions and exceptions.  These meetings were attended by representatives from the relevant Thai agencies, such as the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Labour, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. <\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Announcement of the Launch of the Thailand - European Free Trade Association (EFTA) FTA negotiations <\/strong><\/span>on 20 June 2022 in the Republic of Iceland. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce (H.E. Mr. Jurin Laksanawisit) participated in the meeting to announce the launch of the negotiations for a free trade agreement between Thailand and EFTA alongside trade ministers from EFTA member countries. The launch demonstrated the mutual intention and the commitment of both sides to have successful negotiations of the FTA and highlighted the importance of enhancing the relations on economic, trade, and investment between Thailand and EFTA.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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\r\nThe 1st Thailand-EFTA FTA Negotiations Meeting <\/strong><\/span>between 28-30 June 2022 at Anantara Sia<\/span>m Hotel, Bangkok. The negotiations can be divided into two levels, which were:
\r\n     1) Heads of the delegation level with discussion on the overall picture of the 1st round of negotiations in terms of the structure, approaches, and negotiation styles, as well as the future negotiation plan. The Thai side also proposed to set the goal to conclude the negotiations within 2 years
\r\n     2) Working group level discussion on various matters that were attended by representatives from the relevant agencies of both parties and were divided into 16 separate topics. The meetings exchanged views and asked questions to develop a better understanding between the parties and developed the work plan for the subsequent rounds of negotiations including having meetings between rounds to expedite the negotiations.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n


\r\nThe 2nd Thailand-EFTA FTA Negotiations Meeting <\/strong><\/span>on 1-4 November 2022 in Geneva, Swiss Confederation. The meeting was divided into 2 levels: 
\r\n     1) Discussion at the chief negotiator level between the Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiations (Mrs. Auramon Supthaweethum) as the head of the Thai delegation, and Ambassador and Delegate of the Federal Council for Trade Agreement and head of the World Trade Division in the Foreign Economic Affairs Directorate (H.E. Mr. Markus Schlagenhof) as the head of EFTA delegation. Both sides reiterated their commitment to conclude the negotiations within the 2 years target and scheduled the 3rd round of negotiations between 24-27 January 2023, the 4th round in late April 2023, the 5th round in June 2023, and the 6th round in October 2023; 
\r\n     2) Sub-working group level, including trade in goods, rules of origin and customs cooperation, trade facilitation, trade remedies, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, trade in services, investment, electronic commerce, intellectual property, competition, government procurement, trade and sustainable development, technical cooperation and capacity building, and the general provisions, final provisions, institutional provisions and dispute settlement.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n


\r\nThe 3rd Thailand-EFTA FTA Negotiations Meeting <\/strong><\/span>on 24 - 27 January 2023 in Bangkok. The meeting took place at the chief negotiator level and 15 sub-working groups, including 1) Trade in goods; 2) Rules of origin; 3) Customs procedures and trade facilitation; 4) Trade remedies; 5) Sanitary and phytosanitary measures; 6) Technical barriers to trade; 7) Trade in services; 8) Investment;  9) Electronic commerce; 10) Intellectual property; 11) Competition; 12) Government procurement; 13) Trade and sustainable development; 14) technical cooperation and capacity building; and 15) dispute settlement.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n


\r\nThe 4th Thailand-EFTA FTA Negotiations Meeting<\/span> <\/strong>on 24 - 28 April 2023. The Meeting took place as a hybrid meeting, with both videoconference and physical attendance in Geneva, Swiss Confederation. The main outcomes of the meeting were as follows: The Meeting discussed the progress of negotiations from the 3 previous rounds of meetings, where some articles have already been concluded. As for the remaining articles, both sides will expedite the discussions to reach a conclusion. In addition, both sides also planned the schedule for future meetings. In 2023, three more negotiation rounds were planned for June, September, and November. For 2024, the meetings were planned for January and March to drive forward the negotiations with the aim of concluding the negotiations by mid-2024.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n


\r\nThe 5th Thailand-EFTA FTA Negotiations Meeting <\/strong><\/span>between 12 - 16 June 2023 in Oslo, Kingdom of Norway. The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: Both sides discussed the remaining issues with the aim of reaching the conclusion as quickly as possible. Both sides aimed to conclude the negotiations within 2024. This round of negotiations consisted of negotiations at two levels: the chief negotiators level; and the level of sub-working group with the following 12 groups: 1) Trade in goods; 2) Rules of origin; 3) Sanitary and phytosanitary measures; 4) Technical barriers to trade; 5) Trade in services; 6) Investment; 7) Electronic commerce; 8) Government procurement; 9) intellectual property; 10) trade and sustainable development; 11) dispute settlement; and 12) technical cooperation and capacity building.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n


\r\nThe 6th Thailand-EFTA FTA Negotiations Meeting <\/strong><\/span>from 12 - 15 September 2023 in Bangkok, with the Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiations (Mrs. Auramon Supthaweethum) as the head of the Thai delegation, and Ambassador and Delegate of the Federal Council for Trade Agreement and head of the World Trade Division in the Foreign Economic Affairs Directorate (H.E. Mr. Markus Schlagenhof) as the head of EFTA delegation. The main outcomes of the Meeting were as follows: The Meeting followed up and supervised the overall progress of negotiations. The 11 sub-working groups meeting that took place were: 1) Trade in goods; 2) Trade Remedies; 3) Sanitary and phytosanitary measures; 4) Trade in services; 5) Investment; 6) Government procurement; 7) Intellectual property; 8) Trade and sustainable development; 9) General provisions, final provisions, institutional provisions and dispute settlement; 10) technical cooperation and capacity building; and 11) Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
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<\/span>The 4th Negotiation Round for the Thailand-Sri Lanka FTA <\/strong><\/span>on 27 – 29 March 2023 in Colombo, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The meeting took place to discuss the details of the provisions under the FTA. There was a meeting of the trade negotiation committee (TNC) and other related working groups, including 1) Trade in goods; 2) Trade in services; 3) Investment; 4) Rules of origin; 5) Customs procedures and trade facilitation; 6) Trade remedies; 7) Technical barriers to trade; 8) Economic cooperation; and 9) Legal. There was considerable progress in 9 working groups whereby the working group on trade in services and economic cooperation had already concluded the chapter texts, while others were able to conclude more than 70 percent of the texts. Therefore, it was expected that the next round of meeting would achieve the conclusion of more texts. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n


\r\nThe 5th Negotiation Round for the Thailand-Sri Lanka FTA<\/span> <\/span><\/strong>between 26 - 28 June 2023 through a hybrid format meeting with physical attendance in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and through videoconference. The main outcomes of the meeting were as follows: This meeting consisted of a trade negotiation committee meeting and 6 related working groups: 1) Rules of origin; 2) Technical barriers to trade; 3) Customs procedures and trade facilitation; 4) Trade in services;  5) Investment; and 6) Legal. There were plans to hold 4 more rounds of negotiation in August, October, and December for 2023, and February 2024 to conclude the negotiations as targeted. The Thai delegation also met with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to provide information on the overall situation of the Thai economy and the status of Thailand’s FTA negotiations. This included the benefits of the Thailand-Sri Lanka FTA to create knowledge and understanding for the Sri Lankan private sector.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n


\r\nThe 6th Negotiation Round for the Thailand-Sri Lanka FTA<\/span> <\/span><\/strong>between 21 - 23 August 2023 at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel, Bangkok. The meeting was attended by the Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiations (Mrs. Auramon Supthaweethum). The main outcomes from the meeting were: The meeting consisted of 1) a meeting of the trade negotiation committee which oversees the overall progress of the negotiations; and 2) a meeting of 7 technical working groups, including 1) Trade in goods; 2) ) Rules of origin; 3) Trade in services; 4) investment; 5) Technical barriers to trade; 6) trade remedies; and 7) Legal.<\/span><\/span>
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The Meeting to launch negotiations for the Thailand – the UAE FTA<\/strong><\/span> on 9 May 2023 via videoconference at the Renaissance Phuket Hotel. The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: The two sides announced the opening of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Thailand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) via videoconference. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be the host of the first Senior Officials’ Meeting between 16 - 18 May 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with the Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiations as the chief negotiator.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n


\r\nThe 1st Meeting for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Thailand and the UAE<\/strong><\/span> between 16 - 18 May 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: The Meeting discussed the draft chapters for the CEPA, which consisted of important issues such as trade in goods, rules of origin, customs procedures and trade facilitation. trade remedies, trade in services and digital trade, Intellectual property, transparency in government procurement, and economic cooperation and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n


\r\nThe 2nd Round of Negotiations for the Thailand – the UAE FTA <\/span><\/strong>between 18 - 20 July 2023 in Bangkok. The meeting took place with the Assistant Undersecretary for International Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Economy of UAE as the Chief Negotiator for UAE (H.E. Mr. Juma Mohammed Al Kait) and the Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiations (Mrs. Auramon Supthaweethum) as the Chief Negotiator for Thailand. The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: The two sides jointly drafted the agreement through 11 working group meetings, including 1) Trade in goods; 2) Customs procedures and trade facilitation; 3) Trade remedies; 4) Economic cooperation and MSMEs; 5) Legal and institutions; 6) Transparency in government procurement; 7) Intellectual property; 8) Trade in services, including digital trade; 9) Investment; 10) Technical barriers to trade; and 11) Sanitary and phytosanitary measures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n


\r\nThe 3rd Round of Negotiations for the Thailand – the UAE FTA<\/strong><\/span> between 29 August - 1 September 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The meeting took place with the Assistant Undersecretary for International Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Economy of UAE (H.E. Mr. Juma Mohammed Al Kait) as the Chief Negotiator for UAE and the Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiations (Mrs. Auramon Supthaweethum) as the Chief Negotiator for Thailand. The main outcomes from the meeting were as follows: The Meeting negotiated the FTA between Thailand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which consisted of 1) a meeting of the Trade Negotiation Committee (TNC) to oversee the overall negotiations and 2) There was a meeting of 9 sub-working groups. Overall, the negotiations progressed well.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n


\r\nThe 4th Round of Negotiations for the Thailand – the UAE FTA<\/strong><\/span> between 26 - 28 September 2023 in Bangkok. The meeting took place with the Assistant Undersecretary for International Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Economy of UAE (H.E. Mr. Juma Mohammed Al Kait) as the Chief Negotiator for UAE and the Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiations (Mrs. Auramon Supthaweethum) as the Chief Negotiator for Thailand. The main outcomes from the meeting were as follows: This meeting consisted of a meeting of the Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) alongside meetings of various working groups, including 1) Trade in goods; 2) Rules of origin; 3) Trade in services and digital trade; 4) Trade remedies, and 5) Legal and institutional issues..<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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The ASEAN Economic Ministers-Ministry of Commerce Consultation (AEM-MOFCOM Consultation)<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

• The 22nd AEM-MOFCOM Consultations <\/span><\/span><\/strong>on 21 August 2023, in Semarang, Republic of Indonesia. Thailand, as the country coordinator of the ACFTA, reported important progress, such as the progress on the exchange of tariff reduction schedules of member countries that were updated to the current version and followed up on the implementation issues. The Meeting assigned the relevant working groups on agriculture and industry to carry out discussions to quickly resolve the related issues.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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The Meeting of the Special ASEAN-China FTA Joint Committee: ACFTA-JC) <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

• The 1st ACFTA-JC Meeting<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/strong>on 30 May 2022.<\/strong> The meeting discussed the development of the Joint Feasibility Study Report to Further Enhance the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

• The 2nd ACFTA-JC Meeting and the 15th Meeting of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the ASEAN-China FTA Agreement between 4-5 July 2022. <\/span><\/span><\/strong>The meeting discussed the development of the Joint Feasibility Study Report to Further Enhance the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area and reported on the progress of implementing the obligations under the ACFTA. The meeting also discussed the draft of the Mechanism for Tracking and Monitoring Implementation Issues under the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement to allow member countries to make the most of the free trade agreement between ASEAN and China with maximum efficiency and effectiveness.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

• The 3rd Special ACFTA-JC Meeting on 7 February 2023. <\/span><\/span><\/strong>The Meeting reached a conclusion on the negotiation work plan, meeting procedures, and the structure of the articles that will appear in the agreement. The Meeting also aimed to conclude the negotiations for the upgrading of the ACFTA agreement within 2024. Furthermore, the Meeting agreed to establish several sub-working groups in addition to the existing working groups. These sub-working groups will negotiate various issues that will be part of the upgrade, such as further liberalisation on trade in goods, customs procedures and trade facilitation, and cooperation in new sectors, such as the digital economy, green economy, supply chain connectivity, MSMEs, competition, and consumer protection.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

• The Upgrade Negotiations for the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) by the 4th Special ACFTA-JC Meeting and Related Meetings on 10-12 April 2023 in Bangkok. <\/span><\/span><\/strong>The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: 
\r\n     1) Discussed to improve the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area that has been in force for almost 20 years since 2005 to keep up with the current situation and the changing trade patterns. This round of meetings consisted of a meeting of the Trade Negotiation Committee which oversees the overall picture of the negotiations and a meeting of 5 sub-working groups: trade in goods, investment, green economy, digital economy, and competition and consumer protection. ASEAN and China aimed to conclude the negotiations within 2024; 
\r\n     2) Discussed the important issue of ways to further liberalise trade in goods and investment. This was an important consideration in expanding the benefits of the ACFTA for Thai entrepreneurs. The Meeting also exchanged opinions on new areas of cooperation, such as strengthening supply chain connectivity, developing a green economy to make trade more environmentally friendly, and expanding the electronic trade economy under cooperation on the digital economy.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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The ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) Upgrade Negotiations<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

• The 3rd Round of ACFTA Upgrade Negotiations <\/span><\/span><\/strong>between 24-27 June 2023 in Kunming, the People's Republic of China. The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: Noted the progress of negotiations for 10 sub-working groups, namely: Working Group on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Working Group on Digital Economy, Working Group on MSMEs, and the Economic and Technical Cooperation Working Group discussed the draft chapters and agreed on some articles, most of which use the provisions from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) as the basis for negotiations. Meanwhile, the Working Group on Green Economy, Working Group on Competition and Consumer Protection, Working Group on Trade in Goods, Working Group on Investment, Working Group on Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures, Working Group on Legal and Institutional were in the process of exchanging opinions on the scope and structure of the chapters to be negotiated.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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The 19th Meeting of the ASEAN-Korea FTA-Implementing Committee: AKFTA-IC (via video conference) on 27 July 2022.<\/span> <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

     The Department of Trade Negotiations represented Thailand during the meeting. The meeting discussed several important issues, namely pushing South Korea to liberalize the tariffs on 100 percent coconut water products to return to the import tariff rate for 100 percent coconut water products at 0 percent after the increase in tariff to 40 percent in 2019. Recently, South Korea indicated their readiness to reduce the tariff to 0 percent if ASEAN could confirm its agreement by the end of August 2022. The meeting also discussed improvements to the AKFTA agreement, including the approach to open the market by liberalizing more tariff lines on sensitive goods, improvements to the trade in services and investment agreements, as well as the inclusion of additional chapters on modern issues to make the AKFTA more aligned with current business practices and to become a mechanism for expanding opportunities on trade and investment between ASEAN and South Korea. Additionally, the meeting also discussed the creation of working groups on the issue of technical barriers to trade (TBT) by specific sectors.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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The 20th ASEAN Economic Ministers – Republic of Korea Consultation (AEM – ROK Consultation) on 22 August 2023 in Semarang. Republic of Indonesia.<\/span> <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

     The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: The AKFTA Implementation Committee (AKFTA-IC) agreed to prepare a joint review study on upgrading the AKFTA. Important recommendations included the proposal to further liberalise trade in goods that will need to be discussed in detail and consideration on adding specific provisions regarding trade facilitation and promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In addition, the meeting noted the progress of implementation under the AKFTA and expediting the transposition of the Tariff Reduction Schedule from HS 2017 into HS 2022 and the entry into force of the Protocol to Amend the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Agreement on Trade in Goods.<\/span>
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ASEAN - Australia-New Zealand FTA<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/td>\r\n\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n

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ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA Joint Committee: FJC (via video conference)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

• The 15th FJC Meeting <\/span><\/strong>was held on 7 March 2022. The key points from the meeting can be summarized as follows:<\/span>
\r\n     1) Members agreed to negotiate a total of 15 chapters, of which one chapter has been concluded, which is Competition, and six chapters were being negotiated. Nevertheless, Australia and New Zealand have urged members to expedite their internal process and to drive forward the negotiations while the RCEP can be used as a basis for negotiations.
\r\n     2) On the discussion of investment issue, Australia proposed to upgrade the level of commitment on the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism, while New Zealand proposed to remove the mechanism from the AANZFTA and proposed to include the obligations on Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) in the AANZFTA.
\r\n     3) The meeting noted the schedule for the 16th FJC Meeting to be held on 21 April 2022 (via video conference) and there will be an ASEAN Caucus meeting on 18 April 2022.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

• The 16th FJC Meeting <\/strong><\/span>on 18 and 21 April 2022. The meeting urged the working groups to organize more meetings during the year and to use the Friends of the Chair mechanism to help resolve problems in the negotiations and to expedite the negotiations to upgrade the agreement so that it can be concluded as scheduled in September 2022.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

• The 17th FJC Meeting<\/strong><\/span> between 13-17 June 2022. The meeting asked member countries to review their negotiating stance that is too high standards and requested members to exercise their flexibility in their negotiations that is based on the benefits that businesses will receive to speed up economic recovery in the region from COVID-19.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

• The 19th FJC Meeting <\/strong><\/span>on 10-13 October 2022. Various working groups were able to negotiate and conclude 85 percent of the chapters\/articles\/appendices being upgraded in AANZFTA, with only technical issues remaining.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

• The 20th FJC Meeting <\/strong><\/span>on 14-17 February 2023. Various working groups were able to negotiate and conclude the chapters\/clauses\/appendices being upgraded in AANZFTA and prepared the conduct of relevant internal processes to sign the 2nd Protocol to Amend the AANZFTA by 99.6 percent.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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The 55th ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Meeting on 19 August 2023 in Semarang, Republic of Indonesia. <\/span><\/strong>
\r\n     The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: 
\r\n     1) Concluded the negotiations to upgrade the ASEAN-Australia- New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) and scheduled the signing of the 2nd Protocol to Amend the AANZFTA on 21 August 2023. Six Members that were able to sign the 2nd Protocol included Australia, New Zealand, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. The remaining six members, namely Thailand, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Vietnam would sign the Protocol later; and 
\r\n     2) Carried out the AANZFTA Implementation Support Program (AISP), which aimed to support ASEAN member states in taking advantage of the upgraded agreement and to have access to assistance from specialists to develop capabilities of personnel in relevant agencies.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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The 28th ASEAN Economic Ministers – Closer Economic Relations Consultation (AEM-CER Consultation) on 22 August 2023. <\/span><\/strong>
\r\n     The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: Noted the opinions of the private sector of Australia and New Zealand who asked for support on issues, such as the participation of MSMEs in international trade and promoting the transparent dissemination of trade-related information with ease of access, as well as noted the progress on the upgrade of the AANZFTA. In addition, the Meeting also noted the announcement of a substantial conclusion of the negotiations to upgrade the AANZFTA Agreement during the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summit in November 2022 in the Kingdom of Cambodia. The Meeting was then able to conclude the negotiations of all articles in February 2023, as well as concluded the market access negotiations on trade in services and investment and conducted the legal scrub in June 2023.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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ASEAN - Japan FTA<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/td>\r\n\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n

The 29th ASEAN Economic Ministers – Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Consultation (AEM – METI Consultation)<\/span> <\/strong>on 22 August 22 2023 in Semarang, Republic of Indonesia. The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: The meeting endorsed the “Future Design and Action Plan of Innovative and Sustainable ASEAN-Japan Economic Partnership 2023-2033” (Developed by the ASEAN – Japan governments) and the initiative on “ASEAN-Japan Economic Co-Creation Vision” (Developed by the private and academic sectors of ASEAN and Japan). The two initiatives were important outcomes in celebration of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan relations in 2023 and will be reported to the 26th ASEAN-Japan Summit in September 2023 and the Special ASEAN-Japan Summit in December 2023 in Tokyo to note.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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ASEAN - India FTA<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/td>\r\n\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n

The 20th ASEAN Economic Ministers – India Consultation (AEM – India Consultation) <\/strong><\/span>on 21 August 2023 in Semarang, Republic of Indonesia. The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: The meeting endorsed 3 important documents related to the review of the AITIGA, namely: (1) The negotiation plan and time frame for reviewing the AITIGA; (2) The scope of duties of AITIGA – JC; and (3) The structure of negotiation for the AITIGA to initiate the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement and to conclude the review within 2025.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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ASEAN - European Union FTA<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/td>\r\n\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n

<\/span><\/span>Senior Economic Officials’ Meeting Retreat: SEOM Retreat (via video conference)<\/span> <\/strong>on 11 January 2022 discussed the progress and the approach to the work of ASEAN in the negotiation of the ASEAN-EU agreement. However, the ASEAN-EU Working Group Meeting was postponed, as the EU was still considering the draft of the scope document, while the meeting is expected to be held in the 4th quarter of the fiscal year 2022. The Department has acted on the issue related to the document on the scope of the ASEAN-EU by commenting on the draft document on the Plan of Action to Implement the ASEAN-EU Strategic Partnership (2023-2027).<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n


\r\nThe 19th ASEAN Economic Ministers – EU Trade Commissioner Consultation (AEM-EU Consultation)<\/span> <\/strong>on 20 August 2023 in Semarang, Republic of Indonesia. The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: (1) Implementation of the ASEAN-EU Trade and Investment Work Plan 2022-2023; (2) Outcomes of the meeting and recommendations of the ASEAN-EU Trade and Investment Joint Working Group to promote relations and cooperation between ASEAN and the EU in the short-medium term in areas of mutual interests to both sides, particularly in the field of digital economy, technology and green services, and flexible supply chains. The aim was to elevate the relationship to maximise benefits for both parties that can lead to achieving the long-term goal of development of a free trade agreement between each other; and (3) The Meeting endorsed the ASEAN-EU Trade and Investment Work Plan 2024-2025, which is a document specifying the work plan of ASEAN and the EU over the two years to expand economic cooperation, trade, and investment.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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ASEAN - Canada FTA<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/td>\r\n\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n

<\/span><\/span>Preparatory Meeting of the Trade Negotiation Free Trade Agreement Negotiation Committee ASEAN-Canada<\/span> <\/strong>met on 8 April 2022 to discuss the plan of negotiations and to establish the negotiating committee and various sub-working groups after the launch of the negotiations by the Economic Ministers from ASEAN and Canada in November 2021. During the meeting, ASEAN members and Canada agreed to establish the Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) comprising senior officials from ASEAN and Canada acting as the lead of the negotiating committee for the ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement (ACAFTA) and set up the first 5 working groups to negotiate the important Chapters, which were Trade of Goods, Trade in Services, Investment, Rules of Origin, and Legal and Institutional Arrangements. Additional negotiating groups could be set up if necessary. In 2022, ASEAN and Canada planned to hold four negotiation rounds and aimed to conclude the negotiations within 2023.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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\r\nThe Meeting of the ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement Trade Negotiating Committee Meeting (ACAFTA TNC)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

• The 1st ACAFTA TNC Meeting <\/strong><\/span>met on 30 August and 1 September 2022 to commence negotiations, as well as to track the progress of the negotiations in various working groups, and considered the work plan on the negotiations. At this stage, it was expected that the 2nd Meeting of the ACAFTA TNC (via video conference) will be held in late November 2022, with the 3rd meeting expected to be held in the first quarter of 2023.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

• The 2nd ACAFTA TNC Meeting <\/strong><\/span>on 21, 23, and 24 November 2022 (via videoconference). The meeting took place to note the progress according to the negotiation work plan for 2022 and discussed the 2023 negotiation work plan, while also pushed forward the discussion on outstanding issues on labour, environment, and inclusive trade, as well as following up on the progress of negotiations of various negotiation working groups.   <\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

• The Special ACAFTA TNC Meeting<\/span> <\/strong>on 23 February 2023 in Bandung, Republic of Indonesia. The meeting took place to discuss ways forward for the negotiations on labour, environment, and trade that place importance on all stakeholders. as well as followed up on the progress of ACAFTA negotiations under various working groups and discussed the negotiation work plan for 2023.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

• The 3rd ACAFTA TNC Meeting <\/strong><\/span>on 18 April 2023 (via videoconference). The meeting took place to follow up on the progress and discuss important issues under the ACAFTA negotiations, including the work plan for 2023.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

• The 4th ACAFTA TNC Meeting<\/span> <\/strong>on 22 June 2023 (via videoconference). The meeting took place to follow up on the progress and discuss important issues under the ACAFTA negotiations, including the work plan.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

• The 5th ACAFTA TNC Meeting <\/strong><\/span>on 25-29 September 2023 in Bali, Republic of Indonesia. The meeting took place to follow up on the progress and discuss important issues under the ACAFTA negotiations, including the work plan.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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<\/p>\r\n","url":"https:\/\/www.dtn.go.th\/en\/content\/categories\/detail\/id\/1986\/iid\/13165","date_published":"2024-07-01T09:10:00"}]}