ASEAN works to boost trade to deal with COVID-19 crisis

ASEAN members are working on facilitating increased trade, removing trade barriers and reducing transaction costs to deal with the COVID-19 crisis (Photo: aseanbriefing.com)

Bangkok (VNA) - ASEAN members are working on facilitating increasedtrade, removing trade barriers and reducing transaction costs to deal with theCOVID-19 crisis, the top official at Thailand's Department of TradeNegotiations said on March 4.

Departmentdirector-general Auramon Supthaweethum made the remarks after attending the22nd ASEAN Trade Facilitation Joint Consultative Committee (ATF-JCC) viateleconference, local media reported.

Shesaid Thailand has requested additional details from ASEAN members on usingtrade measures to ensure that the operation will be in line with the agreementand facilitate Thai exporters.

"In 2021, ASEAN improved trade facilitation and the average scoreincreased by 13 percent compared to 2017," Auramon was quoted as saying bythe English-language newspaper The Nation.

"Thailand was ranked No. 2 in ASEAN trade facilitation, behindSingapore."

According to Auramon, Thailand has cooperated with ASEAN on operating underNon-Tariff Measures guidelines to remove trade barriers in the region as well.

In 2021, trade between Thailand and ASEAN was worth 110.79 billion USD, up17.09 percent year on year. Of the total, Thailand’s exports accounted for 65.02billion USD and 45.78 billion USD were imports, up 17.24 percent and 16.89 percent,respectively.

Major exports included oil, gold, electric circuits, trucks, beverages,air-conditioners and cars, while major imports included oil, electricity,natural gas, voice recorders, electronic components, electric circuits andcoal./.

VNA