FTAs help boost Thailand’s dairy exports by 11.5% year on year

Thailand enjoyed an 11.5% increase in dairy product exports under free trade agreements (FTAs) during the first 10 months of this year, the Trade Negotiations Department said on Friday.

Chotima Iemsawasdikul, director-general of the department, said the country exported US$603.6 million worth of milk and other dairy products from January to October this year and the value rose by 11.3% year on year.

Chotima said 94.3% of the exports valued at US$569.3 million were exported to nations or groups of nations having FTAs with Thailand.

She said the export of dairy products under FTAs expanded by 11.5% compared to the same period of last year. Key FTA markets that saw growth of dairy products exports included ASEAN (9.8%), Hong Kong (5%), Japan (165.6%), Australia (132.2%), and South Korea (19.1%).

She said key dairy products exported from Thailand included UHT milk, yogurt, drinking yogurt and condensed milk.

Chotima said 14 FTA partners of Thailand have exempted import duty on milk products, including ASEAN, China, Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Hong Kong.

Only four FTA partners still charge import duty on dairy products from Thailand. They are: Japan, South Korea, India and Peru.

She said these four countries have reduced the import duty on dairy products but have not exempted the products from import duty.

Chotima said Thailand was ranked the top exporter of dairy products in ASEAN and seventh globally. She said Thailand enjoyed the advantage of FTAs to emerge as the No. 1 dairy exporter in ASEAN .

Dairy exports to Cambodia rose by 4.9%, 20.4% to the Philippines, 6.7% to Myanmar and 21.9% to Singapore.