September 28, 2006

EU not responding to Thailand's request for increased chicken quotas

Thailand has been unable to persuade the European Union (EU) to give a special import quota on its chicken exports after meeting with the EU's representatives, Thai media reported.

The EU has not yet responded to Thailand's proposal to ease its import quota, The Nation, a Thai news media quoted Ambassador Puangrat Asavapisit, as saying. Asavapisit is Thailand's permanent representative to the WTO.

Thailand had proposed to increase the quota of chickens it is allowed to export to Europe after the EU earlier announced changes in import regulations.

Puangrat said Thailand was trying to get the best deal possible because processed chicken is its major export to the EU.

The EU has so far not responded to Thailand's proposal for a special import quota of 140,000 tonnes per year and a quota increase of 25 per cent in three years.

Thailand shipped 106,503 tonnes of processed chicken to the EU last year.

Thailand's chicken exports to the EU are expected to grow 25 to 30 percent a year.