Thai exports get tariff-cuts under AFTA

Asian Economic News, Feb 12, 2001

BANGKOK, Feb. 7 Kyodo

Thailand's Commerce Ministry said Wednesday the country's exports to Southeast Asian countries under the region's tariff elimination scheme from January to October last year grew 33.8% from the same period a year earlier.

Thailand is a member of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that is creating the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), including a tariff reduction scheme called the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) pact.

Karun Kittisataporn, director general of the Foreign Trade Department, said the 10 months of exports under the CEPT scheme from Thailand to ASEAN countries was worth $658 million, up from $492 million a year earlier.

The top export goods were automotive engines, shampoo, polyvinyl chloride, automobile parts and components and non-alcoholic beverages.

Among the ASEAN countries, Thailand exported most to Malaysia the most, a record $275 million in the first 10 months of last year.

Thai exports to Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore were $212 million, $120 million, $42 million and $9 million, respectively, Karun said.

Under the CEPT scheme, the ASEAN original members -- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, -- are obliged to slash manufactured goods tariffs to below 5% by 2002. The new members -- Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia, -- are given more time to do so, 2003 for Vietnam, 2005 for Laos and Myanmar, and 2007 for Cambodia.