Exporters told to brace for tougher overseas trade measures
Manufacturers and exporters need to start preparing for tougher trade measures in 2007 as key overseas markets roll out non-tariff barriers to protect their consumers, the Commerce Ministry warned yesterday.
Nuntawan Sakuntanaga, deputy director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, said the department would launch a feature on its website at www.dft.moc.go.th to take exporters' requests for help to solve problems related to the new trade measures. Stringent import restrictions such as the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH), sanitary measures for aquacultural products, and information requirements on food and product labels will be implemented early next year on goods imported by the European Union. The EU market is one of the top three for Thai exports. The EU will start enforcing REACH on both domestic manufacturers and foreign exporters in June. For instance, Thai aquacultural products such as fresh fish, shrimp, shell and crab shipped to the 27 EU members will be subjected to a new sanitary measure. The EU will send its officials to inspect all processing lines, from raw materials entering the factory to processed products going out. The EU is in the process of approving regulations covering nutrition and health claims on labels. The EU regulations will be enacted for both domestic and international food producers some time in 2007. Exporters are required to provide clear information in their product labels on ingredients, such as nutrient supplements, alcohol or GMOs. Unsubstantiated, exaggerated and untruthful claims on food packaging will be rejected in the EU market, depending on the consideration of member states. China aims to implement in March its Restriction on the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. It will ban products, particularly electronic and electrical equipment, containing toxic chemicals. The six toxic chemicals are lead, mercury, cadmium, hexalavent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers. China and Japan will impose the same measure, but with different details, on wood products. They will be required to be certified for sanitary standards. China will impose this regulation in January and Japan in April, Nuntawan added.
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation
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