WT/COMTD/PTA5/N/1  
 
15 July 2021 
(21-5611) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Trade and Development  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION OF PREFERENTIAL  TRADE ARRANGEMENT  
This notification, originally circulated on 2 3 July 2015 in document WT/COMTD/N/ 46, is 
being re -circulated in accordance with the new symbols for notifications and subsequent 
documentation relating to preferential trade arrangements  agreed to by the Committee on Trade 
and Development at its 108th Session on 5  April 2019.1 
 
1. Notifying Member:  Thailand 
2. Date of notification:  21 July 2015  
3. Notification p rovision in the Transparency Mechanism for Preferential Trade 
Agreements (WT/L/806) : 
[ ] Paragraph 1 (a) 
(PTAs falling under paragraph 2 of the Enabling Clause, with the exception of 
paragraph  (c)) 
[X] Paragraph 1 (b) 
(PTAs taking the form of preferential treatment accorded by any Member to products of 
least-developed countries)  
[ ] Paragraph 1 (c) 
(Any other non -reciprocal preferential treatment to products authorised under the WTO 
Agreement)  
4. Number of beneficiaries (including of any sub -schemes):  All least-developed 
countries  (LDCs) as classified  by the United Nations  
5. Date of entry into Force:  9 April 2015  
6. Date of last renewal (if applicable): not applicable  
7. Brief description of the Preferential Trade Arrangement :  
 
Thailand 's Duty Free Quota Free (DFQF) Scheme is a unilateral non -reciprocal tariff 
preference scheme for LDCs . Under the scheme:  
i. The preferential tariff treatments are granted, since 9 April 2015 to 
31 December  2020, to all least -developed countries as classified by the 
United  Nations.  
ii. Customs duties and quota is exempted for 6,998 products (at 8 -digit HS code 
level), accounting for 73. 21 per cent of all tariff lines of Thailand.  
iii. To claim preferential tariff treatment, exported products from least -developed 
countries must be satisfied all requirements specified in Duty Free Quota Free 
Rules of Origin . 
 
1 Also circulated on 2 3 July 2015 was a notification by Thailand to the Council for Trade in Goods  
(G/C/W/714). The present re -circulation concerns only the notification to the Committee on Trade and 
Development (WT/COMTD/N/ 46). WT/COMTD/PTA5/N/1  
 
- 2 - 
 
  iv.  The preferential tariff treatments may be suspended temporarily or permanently, 
in respect of all or of certain products originating in a least -developed country, 
in case of fraud, irregularities or systematic failure to comply with or to ensure 
complianc e with the rules concerning the origin of the products and with the 
procedure related thereto.  
v.  If, as a result of the preferential tariff treatments applied under this scheme, an 
originating products of a least -developed country is being imported in incre ased 
quantities and under conditions as to cause serious disruption, or threat thereof, 
to a domestic industry producing like or directly competitive products, such a 
preferential tariff treatment may be suspended and the normal tariff duties on 
that produ ct may be reintroduced.  
 
The scheme has been made  operational vide Notification of the Ministry of Finance, 
Re: Exemption of Customs Duty for the Least Developed Countries, dated 30 March 2015 
and the relevant rules of origin. The notification is available in the Government Gazette, 
Vol No. 132 Special Chapter 80d Dated 8th April B.E. 2558 (A.D. 2015)  and in the 
website of the Government of Thailand (The Customs Department  - www.customs.go.th ). 
 
8. Text and any related instrument s (e.g.  regulations, annexes, schedules, 
protocols) are : 
[X ] submitted to the WTO Secretariat (electronic format)  in English  
[X] available from the following official Internet link(s):  
http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/Library+cus501th/InternetTH/5/9_1/dfqf/  
 
 
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