Rice trade zone to be set up in East

25 March 2013
Bangkok Post
Agricultural production / Agriculture and fishing / Aid and development / Bilateral development assistance / Crop products and commodities / Development Assistance Committee (DAC) members / Economy and commerce / European Union aid / Exports / Imports / Rice / Trade
Bangladesh / Cambodian rice / Chachoengsao / Chanthaburi / Chanthaburi Province / Chukiat Opaswong / Department of Foreign Trade / Dhaka / EU Generalised System of Preferences / European Union aid / Generalised System of Preferences / illegal imported rice / rice / rice trade zone / Sa Kaeo / Sa Kaeo province / Thai Rice Exporters Association / Thailand / Tikhumporn Natvaratat / Trat / Trat Province

The Department of Foreign Trade plans to set up a "rice trade zone" project in the East to process Cambodian rice for export to other countries. Tikhumporn Natvaratat, deputy director-general of the department, said his organisation plans to implement the project in Chanthaburi, Trat, Sa Kaeo and Chachoengsao provinces. ... The department will also decide on the types of rice that Thailand would import from Cambodia to process for export to other countries, with paddy and brown rice among the options being considered. "If Thailand exports the rice to the European Union, it may benefit from the privileges under the Generalised System of Preferences that the EU offers to Cambodia because the origin of the rice is Cambodia," Mr. Tikhumporn said. ... [Mr. Tikhumporn] said Thailand might initially import 100-1,000 tonnes of rice from Cambodia for the export project. ...

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/342199/rice-trade-zone-to-be-set-up-in-east