BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand goals to hitch talks on membership of a trans-Pacific free-trade settlement, a authorities official mentioned on Monday, regardless of opposition from some politicians and enterprise teams over fears the pact might hurt farm and healthcare companies.

The Southeast Asian nation has lengthy expressed curiosity in becoming a member of the 11-member Complete and Progressive Settlement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), seeing it as manner of boosting the financial system, and making sectors reminiscent of electronics and agriculture extra aggressive in opposition to rivals reminiscent of Vietnam and Malaysia, each CPTPP members.

The federal government had listened to public opinion and proposals by the decrease home and would put together counter measures for individuals who might be affected by membership, deputy authorities spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek mentioned in an announcement.

The CPTPP had each advantages and destructive features that required cautious consideration, she mentioned, noting that some phrases might be negotiated earlier than becoming a member of.

“The prime minister reiterated that taking part within the talks is in the very best curiosity of Thai individuals, and it doesn’t imply an settlement to hitch the pact instantly,” she added.

“The plan will certainly be proposed to the cupboard to get Thailand to hitch the negotiations,” Rachada advised Reuters.

Opposition events and a few enterprise teams warn tariff-free entry to different CPTPP member nations might result in a flood of agricultural and pharmaceutical imports from a few of these nations and hurt the industries.

China mentioned in September that it had filed an utility to hitch the CPTPP, which was signed by 11 nations together with Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan and New Zealand in 2018.