Thailand eyes to become regional hub of dairy products

BANGKOK, October 26 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Commerce, plans to develop the Thai Kingdom to become a regional hub of dairy products in the foreseeable future. Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong told journalists of the plan on Friday, saying that his ministry will resort to Thailand's comparative advantages in the sector to achieve the goal eventually. Sontirat acknowledged that his ministry's Department of Trade Negotiations will play more roles to develop the Thai dairy industrial sector to have its enhanced competitiveness on the regional and global markets through technical support to be provided to local dairy farms by experts assigned by his ministry. According to the Thai minister, the move is aimed to prepare for the full opening up of the domestic market of dairy products to Australia and New Zealand by 2025, when a zero tariff will be obliged to be imposed on imported dairy products by the two trading partners based on the Thailand-Australia Free Trade Area (TAFTA) Agreement and the Thailand-New Zealand Closer Economic Partnership (TNZCEP) Agreement. (TNA)