Customs Department Launches Initiative to Combat Influx of Substandard Goods from China
PUBLISHED: 6 Feb 2025 at 06:10
The Customs Department has established a dedicated task force to evaluate the quality of imported goods, with a focus on preventing the entry of substandard items into the local market, particularly those imported from China.
Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat announced that the Customs Department will work alongside key agencies, including the Thai Industrial Standards Institute and the Food and Drug Administration, to ensure rigorous inspections of imported products at storage warehouses.
Recently, the cabinet designated three types of imported electrical appliances—deep fryers, microwave ovens, and electric hair straighteners/curlers—as controlled products, a move spearheaded by the Industry Ministry.
This initiative is intended to enhance public safety, given the widespread use of these appliances in everyday life, according to Minister Julapun.
Furthermore, the Customs Department reported the seizure of goods evading taxes, with a combined worth exceeding 780 million baht during the first four months of fiscal 2025. The confiscated items included 17.4 million imported cigarettes valued at 90.3 million baht, 234 batches of e-cigarettes valued at 29 million baht, 361 batches of cannabis flower buds valued at 24.8 million baht, along with significant quantities of plastic scrap and electronic waste.
Minister Julapun highlighted that while the Customs Department strives to scan every shipping container, current equipment limitations hinder their capability, and inspections rely initially on the risk profiles of importers.
Containers belonging to high-risk importers are fully scanned, he added.
Looking ahead, an expansion in the availability of inspection equipment will likely improve the coverage of container inspections, stated Minister Julapun.
In relation to the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on previously exempt low-value imported goods, the department currently gathers approximately 220 million baht monthly.
