More than 100 representatives of Thai exporting companies took part in a seminar on the Norwegian GSP scheme (Generalized System of Preferences), organised by the Thai Ministry of Commerce in Bangkok on 10 September 2012.
Deputy Director General Cecilie Alnæs and Senior Adviser Susann Nilsen from the Norwegian Directorate of Customs and Excise gave a detailed briefing on how Thai companies may use the system to get preferential treatment of goods being exported to Norway.
The GSP system is an offer allowing the poorest countries in the world the opportunity to export their goods free of duty or with reduced duty rates. For more information about the Norwegian scheme, see www.toll.no.
There is considerable potential of increasing bilateral trade between Norway and Thailand. The possibility of restarting negotiations on a free trade agreement between Thailand and EFTA (the European Free Trade Area, consisting of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein), which were put on hold in 2006, is now being explored.
For more information about EFTA, see www.efta.int.
