Background:
The EFTA States started negotiations on a free trade agreement with Thailand in 2005, which are now in full swing after several interruptions. EFTA aims at concluding an ambitious and comprehensive free trade agreement with the Kingdom of Thailand covering the relevant fields on the free trade agenda and in line with the respective trade interests and sensitivities of all Parties.
Since the restart of the negotiations in 2022 a first round was held in Bangkok in June and a second round in Geneva in October. The third round is scheduled to take place in Bangkok in January 2023. As the negotiating teams rely on private sector input on issues, challenges and desired outcomes to find their way into the FTA, the STCC has decided to establish a working group to collect private sector feedback and forward it to the negotiating teams.
Vision & Values of the Working Group:
The working group will contribute to a swift conclusion of the FTA by making the voices of our members heard and taken into account. The working group will provide regular updates to the Board and membership on the progress of the FTA negotiations. Regular business roundtable events will be a cornerstone of the working group's activities. Overall, the working group will take a holistic approach to supporting the negotiations.
The Working Group will conduct its activities in good faith, with integrity and transparency. It will not offer special benefits to its contributors in the negotiations, but will act on behalf of all members. It will also be guided by its core value of achieving a free trade agreement that takes into account all sustainability aspects of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are relevant to members' and the community's business.
Upcoming Actions:
- we call on interested companies to join this working group with a representative.
- a fact sheet on the FTA negotiations and general topics that can be addressed will be prepared and distributed to members.
- a questionnaire will be developed to gather input from members on challenges, opportunities, benefits that they hope to be addressed in the FTA
All interested companies to support this initiative shall designate a representative to join the working group by sharing their contact information with execdirector@swissthai.com.
