Thailand has a quota of 73,455 tonnes from the EU. Of that, 21,455 tonnes is earmarked for white rice and the remainder focuses on broken rice.

Of the white rice, Capital Rice gained the biggest lot of 3,871 tonnes, followed by Vudhichai Produce with 3,682 tonnes. The remaining quota was allocated to 117 exporters with small lots.

Apiradi Tantraporn, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, said the department had allocated lots based on fairness to all exporters and to prevent a monopoly. The department calculated its rice allocation to the EU based on export statistics for the last three years, she said.

Last year, Bangkok Rice Company won the largest allocation of white rice to the EU of 5,501 tonnes. The ministry has also allocated 52,000 tonnes of broken rice to 13 exporters. Rice Land Food gained the largest lot of 13,262 tonnes, followed by Capital Rice with 10,187 tonnes.

Meanwhile, the department said the South African government was to end anti-dumping duty against imports of suspension polyvinyl chloride from Thailand, India and South Korea.

Apiradi said South Africa had announced in November its final decision after collecting extra duty of 34.59 per cent for five years.

South Africa reasoned that its local manufacturers could not produce evidence to show that imports from those countries would hurt them. Apiradi warned that Thai exporters should be more careful in controlling export volume and value in order to avoid anti-dumping duties.

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation