The Commerce Ministry’s Department of Trade Negotiations (DTN) is promoting the export of orchids under free-trade agreements (FTAs) with 17 countries so the plants are exempted from import tax.
“The Covid-19 crisis has resulted in a hike in international transport costs, which has affected Thai exports of orchids,” said DTN director-general Oramon Subthaweetham.
“The department aims to help orchid growers and exporters by utilising FTAs with 17 countries including China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand so import tax on Thai orchids can be exempted, compared to the normal rate of 60 per cent in countries we don’t have FTAs with, such as India,” she said.
“Thai orchids have big potential in international markets due to high tolerance to changing weather and a lower cost of growing, especially orchids of the Dendrobium family,” she added.