On February 9, 2019, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak revealed after visiting the Ministry of Commerce that Thailand will definitely join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). He has instructed the Ministry of Commerce to prepare a letter of intent to join the agreement to be submitted to New Zealand. He emphasized that if Thailand does not become a member, it will face significant problems as other countries will hesitate to invest. However, joining must not cause difficulties or negative impacts on the majority.




          Additionally, there is a need to expedite negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) among the 10 ASEAN countries and 6 partner countries to be completed within this year. He has instructed the Department of International Trade Negotiations to send a delegation to negotiate with countries that still have unresolved issues, particularly India, to ensure successful negotiations and build confidence in Thailand as the ASEAN chair.


          Regarding export promotion this year, he confirmed that the export target of 8% growth from 2018 will not be adjusted. He has instructed the Department of International Trade Promotion to have trade representatives work harder to maintain and expand market share in both old and new markets to maximize growth value, as well as to send positive signals to global investors.


          Ms. Chutima Bunyaprasertsri, Deputy Minister of Commerce, stated that the Ministry of Commerce is preparing to hold a meeting to gather opinions from the assembly again, after which it will propose to the Cabinet for approval of the letter of intent to join the membership. It is expected that the proposal will be submitted to the Cabinet soon, and the letter of intent will definitely be sent within this government.

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