Thailand's Cabinet Approves Import Duties of up to 30% on E-Commerce Purchases
Thailand's cabinet on November 10 approved import duties on goods purchased through e-commerce platforms. Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas announced the same day that the duties will be charged according to each product's customs tariff classification, at rates not exceeding 30 percent, and are expected to come into force early next year.
Customs Department Director-General Phantong Loykulnanta said the revised collection regime will apply to goods entering Thailand through express delivery services and international post, replacing the tariff reductions and exemptions currently applied to online purchases shipped as parcels and restoring the standard rates for the relevant categories. He said the new regime does not violate the terms of the free-trade agreement between ASEAN and China.
Under the new rates, duties on plastic products will rise from 20 to 30 percent; headphones and microphones from 10 to 30 percent; women's handbags from 20 to 30 percent; fitness equipment from 10 to 30 percent; jewellery from zero to 30 percent; and sunglasses from 5 to 30 percent, while clothing remains at 30 percent.
The Thai government said the move is intended to protect local businesses and create a fairer competitive environment for small and medium-sized enterprises. Detailed implementation rules and the exact effective date are to be announced by the Customs Department.
Source: Thailand Ministry of Finance
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：泰国 Laem Chabang 港的港务局大楼（资料图）。照片：Lokomotive74，CC BY 2.5，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Laem Chabang Port authority building in Thailand (file photo). Photo by Lokomotive74, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
