August 10, 2006

Thailand seeks compensation for EU chicken tariffs

EU's new tariffs and quotas on chicken exports has prompted Thailand to seek compensation through its Department of Trade Negotiations, a senior official said.

Trade Negotiations Department director-general Apiradi Tantraporn said that the EU informed the WTO in mid June that it is changing import tariff rates for salted chicken meat, cooked chicken meat and marinated turkey.

Thailand is among the top exporters of salted and cooked chicken meat to the EU.

In 2005, Thailand exported 106,510 tonnes of cooked chicken meat worth EUR 266 million to the EU market.

The EU intends to impose a 50 percent tariff once exporting countries exceed a certain quota. Previously there had been a uniform rate for any quantity.

Thailand's Trade Negotiations Department would officially apply to discuss compensation in accordance to WTO procedures.