Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce is considering tougher action against cheap and low-quality imported products from China that are forcing local companies out of the market and out of business.
The Ministry of Commerce recently held a meeting with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, Ministry of Finance, Investment Committee, Department of Special Investigations, Consumer Protection Committee and the Thai Institute of Industrial Standards after many local businessmen complained about the flood of cheap and low-quality products from China available online and offline in Thailand.
Recently, there has been an increase in potentially illegal Chinese businesses in areas frequently visited by Chinese tourists.
Serious concerns have also been raised about the launch of major Chinese online platform Temu in Thailand this month. The platform offers fire sale discounts on a wide range of Chinese products and promises delivery in less than five days.
Permanent Secretary for Trade Vuttikrai Leewiraphan told the media today that to solve this problem, officials need to focus on trading models and online and offline sales.
He said officials would check whether the products were imported legally and whether they had passed quality inspection. If the physical stores are in areas where many Chinese people are, officials would check whether their employees are non-Thai, whether they have work permits, whether the stores are legally registered and whether the products for sale infringe intellectual property rights.
Regarding online sales, Vuttikrai said the ministry will seek cooperation with the customs authority and provide information on the ten most popular products sold online to determine whether they meet quality standards and are suitable for import.
