December 6, 2024
BANGKOK – The chief of the Customs Department said on Thursday that the department has geared up to monitor greater influx of foreign goods into Thailand as the stage is set for a trade war between the US and China.
Theerat Atthanawanit, customs director-general, said the department expected more goods to flow into Thailand after Donald Trump takes office early next year as US president and steps up the trade war with China.
Theerat said he had instructed all customs checkpoints to strictly monitor illegal imports but also facilitate legal imports.
“We have made preparations to deal with more imports from China. But not only from China, from other countries as well,” Theerat said.
He said customs officials would screen out imported goods that fail to meet quality standards and also smuggled goods and illegal items.
Theerat expected that most of the imports would be goods whose prices would be lower than 1,500 baht.
He said his department would collect VAT on these low-priced imports for another year pending the Revenue Department enacting a law to charge import taxes on the low-priced goods.
Theerat said the Customs Department had so far earned some 200 million baht a month from VAT charges on low-priced goods during the past six months.
Theerat added that the Customs Department’s revenue during the first two months of fiscal year (FY) 2025 was below its target. The fiscal year starts in October.
He attributed the lower revenue to imported goods using components or raw materials from other ASEAN nations, allowing them tariff exemption. The government’s policy to promote the use of electric vehicles had also affected the department’s revenue, Theerat added.
The department projected its revenue in FY2025 at 120 billion baht, up from 110 billion baht in FY2024, Theerat said.