Thailand's Department of Foreign Trade (DFT), under the Ministry of Commerce, opened a public consultation on September 23, 2026 on a draft notification that sets out how importers obtain certificates evidencing their right to tariff exemptions on agricultural goods imported under the EFTA-Thailand Free Trade Agreement. The consultation runs through October 22, 2026, giving affected importers and customs brokers 28 days to shape the certification regime that will operationalise the FTA's agricultural tariff preferences.
The draft establishes the procedure for issuing certificates that prove an importer's entitlement to a total or partial tariff exemption for goods Thailand has scheduled under its WTO Agreement on Agriculture commitments and that enter the Kingdom under the EFTA-Thailand FTA. Once finalised, the certificate will be the document customs relies on to grant the preferential rate at clearance.
The EFTA-Thailand FTA was signed on January 23, 2025 in Davos between Thailand and the four EFTA states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), after negotiations concluded on November 29, 2024. Entry into force remains pending ratification, and bilateral trade reached USD 3.2 billion in 2023. This DFT consultation is one of a pair of companion implementing instruments; the other is a separate Ministry of Commerce draft on the importation procedure for the same agricultural goods. Together they build the domestic machinery to deliver the FTA's tariff preferences once the agreement takes effect.
Who needs a certificate, and what does it unlock?
Importers of agricultural goods that fall under Thailand's WTO Agreement on Agriculture commitments and that enter Thailand under the EFTA-Thailand FTA must hold a DFT-issued certificate to claim a total or partial tariff exemption. The certificate evidences the importer's eligibility for the preferential treatment the FTA grants those product lines. Without it, the goods clear customs at the standard most-favoured-nation duty rate, and the tariff benefit is lost. The stake is a missed cost saving rather than a penalty, but for high-volume agri-food flows the margin impact is direct and recurring.
What is open for comment, and how do you respond?
The DFT has published the full draft notification alongside a supporting document on the key principles and rationale, both downloadable from the consultation page. Stakeholders can submit views through the DFT website or Thailand's Central Legal System (law.go.th) by October 22, 2026. The consultation form records business type, covering importer, exporter, producer, distributor, trade association, adviser and agriculture sector, and asks whether respondents agree or disagree with the draft, with space for reasoned comment. EFTA-state agri-food exporters selling into Thailand should coordinate with their Thai importers or customs brokers, because the certification obligation sits on the Thai side of the border.
What should affected traders do now?
Map your product portfolio against the WTO agricultural commitment lines Thailand has opened to EFTA preference, confirm whether your goods fall in scope, and identify the documentation the draft will require to evidence entitlement. File a formal comment by October 22, 2026 if the certification procedure, evidentiary requirements or fees create friction for your flows. Because the FTA itself has not yet entered into force, treat the notification as preparatory: the certificate regime will bite alongside, or shortly after, the agreement takes effect, so building the internal process now avoids a scramble at go-live.
| Milestone | Date or status |
|---|---|
| EFTA-Thailand FTA signed (Davos) | January 23, 2025 |
| FTA entry into force | Pending ratification |
| DFT consultation opens | September 23, 2026 |
| Consultation closes, comments due | October 22, 2026 |
| Certificate regime applies | On notification finalisation, alongside FTA entry into force |
Continuous, per-jurisdiction real-time monitoring surfaces this kind of implementing consultation the moment a regulator publishes it, before the comment window closes.
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Next steps: download the draft notification and the supporting rationale document from the DFT consultation page, check whether your imported agricultural goods fall under the Thailand WTO commitment lines covered by the EFTA FTA, and brief your customs broker or trade compliance team on the certificate evidentiary requirements. File any comment by October 22, 2026, and track the FTA's ratification so the certificate process is ready when the preference takes effect.
