Rice panel to consider measures on rice import under AFTA.
The National Rice Policy Committee is considering measures to control rice imports following the new AFTA free trade agreement and will seek the Cabinet's approval by the end of the year.
The National Rice Policy Committee, chaired by Commerce Minister Porntiwa Nakasai will consider a proposal on Monday to impose measures on rice imports following the new AFTA agreement, in which Thailand agreed to a removal of import excise tax on rice for the ASEAN member nations. The free trade agreement will become effective on January 1st next year.
The proposed measures require rice importers to register with relevant agencies. They are also required to submit their import plans and detailed information on the rice products.
In addition, all imported rice must be examined in terms of its quality, especially whether it's genetically modified or not. Moreover, the rice is allowed to be used for industrial purposes only.
The proposed measures mainly aim to deal with the mixture of foreign and domestic rice by local manufacturers, which would lower the quality of Thai rice.
The measures are expected to be deliberated by the Cabinet and imposed in time for the AFTA free trade deal to come into effect.
