The US is repeating its call for Thailand to allow imports of US pork and that foreign workers be allowed to set up labour unions here in order to protect workers' rights.
Commerce Minister Chutima Bunyapraphasara discussed the issues with Karl Ehlers, assistant US Trade Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, during a recent visit. The US is closely following the progress of US pork exports being allowed in Thailand.
Thailand and the US earlier agreed to set up a joint committee to study and evaluate the impact on consumer health from the consumption of pork containing ractopamine.
Thailand has banned the use of ractopamine, a feed additive commonly used by US pork producers to enhance animals' muscle leanness and growth rates, in the swine industry for more than 15 years.
Last April, the US-based National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) filed a Generalized System of Preferences review with the trade representative, citing Thailand's failure to provide market access for US products.
The group said Thailand, through exorbitant tariffs and "de facto bans", severely limits US pork imports while enjoying a Most Favored Nation (MFN) tariff rate on agriculture exports to the US.
The NPPC urged the Trump administration to withdraw or limit Thailand's benefits under the MFN programme, which allows for removal of a country's benefits if the US is not permitted fair and reasonable access to the market. However, such US proposals have faced opposition from Thai swineherds, who cited consumer health concerns because of ractopamine as well as economic damages to Thai farmers.
The government informed its US counterpart its study on ractopamine's effect on human health will finish in March. If the scientific evidence shows the drug is harmful to consumers' health, Thailand cannot allow such imported pork, said Ms Chutima.
"Although the WTO and Codex allow using ractopamine in limited amounts, the permit is based on a majority of the member's votes, not on the scientific probe," she said.