Auramon Supthaweethum, director-general of the Commerce Ministry’s Department of Trade (Photo: nationmultimedia.com)Bangkok (VNA) – The Thai Commerce Ministry said on June 11 that thecountry will discuss with the European Union the impact of Brexit and restartnegotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two sides at the 14thmeeting of the EU-Thailand working group set for June 14 in Brussels, Belgium.
Auramon Supthaweethum, Director-General of the Trade Negotiations Department,said she will act as negotiator in discussions with Peter Berz, acting Directorfor Trade with Asia and Latin America at the European Commission.
The issues to be discussed at the meeting include the impact of Brexit, theworld's economic situation, reform of the World Trade Organisation, and anattempt to revive the long-stalled negotiations on an EU-Thailand FTA.
According to Auramon, Thailand will exchange data with EU representatives toprepare for the FTA talks once a new government is in place, and the meetingwill also find ways to promote bilateral trade and investment and tackleexisting obstacles.
The EU is Thailand's third largest trade partner. Two-way trade rose 6.51percent to 47.3 billion USD in 2018, including Thai exports at 25 billion USD.
Thailand’s main export items include computers and components, automobile andparts, gems and jewellery, electrical circuits, rubber products, airconditioners and parts, and processed chicken, while key imports includemachines and parts, aeroplanes, gliders and parts, chemical products, medicalsupplies and medicines, electrical devices and parts, diamonds and preciousstones.-VNA
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