EFTA and Thailand convene for sixth round of Free Trade Agreement negotiations in Bangkok

EFTA and Thailand Heads of delegations

From 12 to 15 September 2023, delegates from the EFTA States – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland – and Thailand convened for their sixth round of negotiations towards a Free Trade Agreement.

The EFTA delegation was led by Ambassador Markus Schlagenhof, Delegate of the Federal Council for Trade Agreements at the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, while Thailand's delegation was headed by Director General Auramon Supthaweetum from the Department of Trade Negotiations within the Ministry of Commerce.

Expert discussions covered a wide range of areas including trade in goods, sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS), trade in services, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), investment, trade remedies, legal and horizontal issues, government procurement, trade and sustainable development, cooperation and capacity building as well as intellectual property rights. Heads of delegations also met on several occasions to define optimal ways of advancing on the most sensitive issues.

The discussions took place in a collaborative and friendly atmosphere, resulting in substantial progress achieved over the week. This progress highlights the shared commitment of both sides to efficiently and successfully conclude the negotiations by 2024.

Economic relations between the EFTA States and Thailand

In 2022, bilateral EFTA–Thailand merchandise trade exceeded USD 3.5 billion. Clocks and watches, fish and crustaceans, and pharmaceutical products were the primary exports from EFTA to Thailand, while electronic machinery, clocks and watch parts, and iron structures were the primary imports from Thailand.

Read more about merchandise trade between EFTA and Thailand here.