The government is accelerating efforts to encourage SMEs to utilize rights under Free Trade Agreements (FTA) to reduce tax costs and gain export advantages. In the first half of the year, utilization reached 1.57 trillion baht, growing by 7.33%.
On 4 September 2026, Ms. Lalida Pertvivatana, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office, revealed that the government is advancing the competitiveness of Thai entrepreneurs, especially SMEs, by encouraging the use of benefits from Free Trade Agreements (FTA) to lower tax costs and increase opportunities to access foreign markets. The government is also expediting preparations for entrepreneurs to adapt to the Thailand–EFTA Free Trade Agreement, expected to take effect in early 2027.
Recently, the Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce, reported that from January to June 2026, Thai exporters utilized trade benefits under FTAs totaling 48.06903 billion US dollars, approximately 1.57 trillion baht, an increase of 7.33% compared to the same period last year. This accounts for 80.83% utilization of the export value eligible for preferential treatment under FTAs.
The Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office stated that these figures reflect that FTAs genuinely help reduce costs and create competitive advantages for Thai products. However, the government recognizes gaps remain in maximizing utilization, particularly in certain markets where entrepreneurs have yet to fully exploit tax benefits. Therefore, efforts must accelerate to address limitations in information, understanding of rules of origin, and procedures for exercising rights, to enable smaller entrepreneurs to better access FTA benefits.
Breaking down by agreement, utilization under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) reached 15.93755 billion US dollars, with 67.50% usage. ASEAN–China accounted for 14.26411 billion US dollars with a high utilization rate of 94.50%. ASEAN–India totaled 6.11017 billion US dollars with 78.73% usage. Thailand–Japan amounted to 3.81969 billion US dollars with 85.86% utilization, and Thailand–Australia reached 3.02747 billion US dollars with a 59.03% usage rate.
The government aims to increase utilization rates in markets where gaps remain by focusing on helping entrepreneurs understand “which products – which markets – how to use the rights,” covering tariff classification checks, rules of origin, document preparation, and selecting the most beneficial agreements. The goal is to convert negotiated tax rights into reduced costs and increased trade opportunities for the business sector.
Regarding the structure of utilization, industrial products accounted for 34.91943 billion US dollars, or 72.64% of total utilization. Products with high usage include transport vehicles, synthetic rubber mixed with natural rubber, gemstones and jewelry, gold and silverware and components, as well as copper scrap and unusable materials.
Ms. Lalida added that another key task is preparing Thai entrepreneurs for the Thailand–EFTA Free Trade Agreement, expected to come into effect in early 2027, so that businesses can immediately benefit from tariff reductions, compliance with rules of origin, and planning entry into new markets. This is especially important for SMEs that may lack personnel or expertise in international trade regulations.
“The government does not measure FTA success only by the number of agreements Thailand has, but by ensuring that negotiated rights are actually utilized to reduce costs for entrepreneurs. The next goal is to make it easier for SMEs to access tax advantages, use rights correctly, and seize opportunities in new markets, so that the benefits of free trade can reach a broader range of Thai entrepreneurs.”