FTI urges new regulatory body to curb cheap Chinese imports

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) urged the Industry Ministry to establish a novel regulatory body to supervise product standards. The move is intended to curb the influx of inexpensive Chinese imports, which the FTI claims are flooding the Thai market.

The FTI did not clarify whether the proposed regulatory body would be governed by the state or the business sector. Its primary purpose would be to assist the ministry’s Thai Industrial Standard Institute (TISI) in verifying the quality and safety of merchandise.

FTI vice-chairman Thawee Piyapatana criticised the TISI for its sluggish operations, asserting that its inefficiency hinders the government’s efforts to prohibit the import of substandard goods.

“The government needs a helping hand because the import of cheap Chinese goods continues to increase, leading to dumping in the Thai…