BANGKOK, May 9 (TNA) – A senior official has urged
businesses to take advantage of ASEAN-Hong Kong free trade agreement which will
be effective in June.
Auramon Supthaweethum, Director-General of the Department of
Trade Negotiations, said that Thailand was the first country to submit its
ASEAN-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement (AHKFTA) ratification instruments after
the agreement was signed back in November 2017. 
Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam had followed suit before the
enactment of the AHKFTA on June 11, she noted.
When AHKFTA becomes effective, the Department has set a
trade target between Thailand and Hong Kong at $20 billion within next year.
The FTA not also facilitated investment but allowed Thai
entrepreneurs to hold all stakes in 77 different business categories in Hong
Kong, including the finance and telecom sectors, she said.
According to Auramon, the total trade value between Thailand
and Hong Kong stood at US$15.473 billion, with Thai exports totaling $12.523
billion and $2.949 billion in imports in 2018. (TNA)
