An automobile assembly plant of Ford in Hai Duong province (Photo: AFP)Bangkok (VNA) – ASEAN economic ministers will sign a pact on mutualrecognition arrangements (MRAs) for automobiles and parts as well as theimprovement of protocols for dispute settlement mechanisms in September.
Director-general of the Thai Ministry of Commerce’s Trade NegotiationsDepartment Auramon Supthaweethum told press that the third senior economicofficial meeting (SEOM) held from July 14-18 in Bangkok agreed to propose the twoimportant documents at the meeting in Bangkok in the next two months.
Through MRAs, products that are tested andcertified before export can enter the importing country directly without havingto undergo similar conformity assessment procedures in the destination.
Earlier, the ASEAN SEOM in Vientiane on April 4-5 approved MRAs for automotiveproducts among ten countries of the bloc after seven years of negotiations.Once taking into effect, the pact will help reduce production costs andfacilitate automotive imports and exports among the members.
The MRA will cover automotive products such as braking systems, safety belts,seats, tyres, steering systems, speedometers and safety glass.
According to Auramon, the second document covers the improvement of protocol ondispute settlement mechanisms. It will update ASEAN’s dispute settlementmechanism to come in line with the changing environment and the World TradeOrganisations dispute settlement principles.
ASEAN is the biggest trade partner of Thailand, with two-way trade totaling 114billion USD, up 13 percent from the same time last year.-VNA
Director-general of the Thai Ministry of Commerce’s Trade NegotiationsDepartment Auramon Supthaweethum told press that the third senior economicofficial meeting (SEOM) held from July 14-18 in Bangkok agreed to propose the twoimportant documents at the meeting in Bangkok in the next two months.
Through MRAs, products that are tested andcertified before export can enter the importing country directly without havingto undergo similar conformity assessment procedures in the destination.
Earlier, the ASEAN SEOM in Vientiane on April 4-5 approved MRAs for automotiveproducts among ten countries of the bloc after seven years of negotiations.Once taking into effect, the pact will help reduce production costs andfacilitate automotive imports and exports among the members.
The MRA will cover automotive products such as braking systems, safety belts,seats, tyres, steering systems, speedometers and safety glass.
According to Auramon, the second document covers the improvement of protocol ondispute settlement mechanisms. It will update ASEAN’s dispute settlementmechanism to come in line with the changing environment and the World TradeOrganisations dispute settlement principles.
ASEAN is the biggest trade partner of Thailand, with two-way trade totaling 114billion USD, up 13 percent from the same time last year.-VNA
VNA
