About International Trade Committee

Thailand has Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with a number of countries, all of the ASEAN countries, plus Japan, China, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India and Peru. These FTAs cover a wide range of issues including liberalization of trade in goods, labour, services, and investment and could provide significant benefits to companies, the most obvious one being the chance to save import tariff duties when moving goods into Thailand from FTA partner countries.

The myriad of rules however makes it difficult for companies in Thailand to fully understand the scope and coverage of these FTAs to fully utilize them.

With Thailand’s trade relations expanding beyond the imminent ASEAN Economic Community (International Trade), the JFCCT International Trade Committee (formerly known as the International Trade Committee) was set up with an aim to:

• Provide information and updates related to FTAs to JFCCT members so they can obtain the maximum benefits from the opportunities that these FTAs provide.
• Provide information and updates to JFCCT members on international trade (and where relevant, investment) related issues that could impact JFCCT members.
• Identify concerns and issues from JFCCT members and to engage and discuss with the relevant Thai Government Departments (e.g. Ministry of Commerce, Department of Foreign Trade, Thai Customs) with a view to having the recommendations of the foreign business community in Thailand considered within the details of the implementation or negotiation of various FTAs relevant to Thailand and in any other relevant laws or policies which impact trade and (where relevant) investment.

The International Trade Committee meets on a monthly basis, and representatives of all JFCCT member Chambers and member Business Associations are welcome to participate.

Contact: tradechair@jfcct.org or secretary@jfcct.org