Thailand is set to start negotiations on a free-trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union. Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit will lead Thailand’s team to start trade talks during their two-day official visit to Brussels, where the joint political will is likely to be agreed upon and announced. Jurin said a Thai-EU FTA is one of the most important free-trade deals that the private sector has wanted for a long time, but it is still far from being achieved. He said that the Thai-EU FTA, once implemented, will increase trade volumes between Thailand and the EU and expand trade opportunities and Thai export products. In 2022, trade volumes between Thailand and the EU tallied USD41bn, accounting for 6.95% of Thailand’s total trade.