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Reviewing Agricultural Trade Policies

To Promote Intra-OIC Agricultural Trade

147

Thailand states that the country has a good record of notifications to the WTO. However,

notifications related to domestic support in agriculture were remaining at the time the report

was published. Thailand recovered this in 2017 and notified WTO regarding domestic support

related to agriculture for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016. This is a clear evidence of Thailand’s

intention of liberalizing its trade and fulfilling the WTO requirements.

The top 5 import and export products of Thailand will be now looked at, concerning the tariff

protection they are subject to. The sharp decrease in all the products average tariffs in Table

4.52 during the period considered is a result of both the country’s decisiveness towards

liberalizing its external trade while strengthening its competitiveness as well as its ASEAN

membership, since the share of the trading block in the country’s external trade is considerable.

With regard to tariff rates for Thailand’s top five import products from the top 5 OIC exporters,

Table 4.52 presents the available data. The 2016 tariff rates demonstrate that tariff rates for oils,

fats, waxe are lowest while the tariff rates for cereals are highest.

Table 4. 52 Tariffs Set by Thailand for Top 5 Import Products from the OIC Exporters, %

03: Fish

09:

Miscellaneous

p.

41-42-43:

Oils, fats,

waxe

07: Coffee,

tea, cocoa,

spices

04: Cereals

2003

4.7

4.5

2.3

5.0

4.9

2014

2.6

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.3

2015

1.4

0.0

0.1

1.5

4.4

Source: ITC Macmap, CEPII BACI, Eurostat RAMON, UN Comtrade, UN Trade Statistics, and authors’

calculations

Note. Top 5 products are identified considering 3 year average between 2014 and 2016 and ad valorem

equivalent (%) rates are considered for applied tariff rates.

Concerning the tariffs applied to Thailand’s top 5 export products by the top 5 OIC importing

countries, the highest tariff is applied to sugar, followed by cereals, those two products being

considered strategic worldwide (Table 4.53).

Table 4. 53 Tariffs Set by OIC Countries for Thailand’s Top 5 Export Products, %

04: Cereals

06: Sugars

23: Crude

rubber

03: Fish

05:

Vegetables,

fruit

2016

9.8

13.5

0.0

3.1

1.6

Source: ITC Macmap, CEPII BACI, Eurostat RAMON, UN Comtrade, UN Trade Statistics, and authors’

calculations

Note. Top 5 products are identified considering 3 year average between 2014 and 2016 and ad valorem

equivalent (%) rates are considered for applied tariff rates.

NTMs

Table 4.54 summarizes the numbers of NTMs that have been imposed by Thailand and that are

currently in force. In animal products, nearly 90 percent of animal products are subject to NTMs

and this ratio is 80 percent in vegetables, 90 percent in Food products and 100 percent in hides

and skins. The wood products are the less protected category by NTMs.