Digital services set for foreign trade

The Foreign Trade Department is claiming to be the first to offer comprehensive digital services to facilitate ease of doing business, cut operating costs and save time for exporters and importers, in line with the Thailand 4.0 policy.

According to director-general Adul Chotinisakorn, the Foreign Trade Department yesterday launched integrated digital services for a combined 11 services that will help facilitate and accommodate import and export businesses and reduce processing time and costs for them.

The digital service development will increase the country's competitiveness and serve the Smart Ministry's digital economy policy, he said.

Mr Adul said the 11 services include e-Register, which lets importers and exporters ask for a licence via the electronic system; Rules of Origin Verification Systems, which verify the rules of origin for export and import goods that are entitled to trade privileges under free trade agreements (FTAs) or the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP); and e-CO, which provides Rules of Origin certification for products under FTAs or GSP.

Other services include the rules of origin database and details of customs tariffs under Asean FTAs and trading partners; e-Licence, which offers licence and certification for export and import goods via the electronic system; and product standard certification and e-TCWMD (Trade Controls on Weapons of Mass Destruction), the IT system that certifies dual-use items (DUI) -- goods that have both a commercial and military use.

The e-TCWMD service will help business operators comply with laws and regulations when seeking a permit to run a DUI business and/or issue certifications for non-DUI products by themselves online.

In addition, according to Mr Adul, the new digital service also offers electronic linkage to the National Single Window (NSW), a customs portal that pools the import licence approvals for all 33 related agencies in a single place to comply with the government drive to ease doing business in Thailand, and the Asean Single Window (ASW).

The ASW is a regional initiative that connects and integrates the NSWs of Asean member states.