Higher shipments of pineapples to Australia are anticipated this year after Australia lifted its anti-dumping duty imposed on imports of Thai canned pineapple used in the food industry. 

Adul Chotinisakorn, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, said Australia announced it lifted its antidumping tariffs on Thai pineapple prepared or preserved in containers exceeding one litre used in the food industry from Feb 20 this year. The announcement was backdated to May 10, 2018. 

Australia imposed anti-dumping measures against Thai pineapples since October 2001 after it was suspected the goods were shipped there below the domestic price of the product in Thailand. 

Canned pineapple imported from Thailand was subject to an anti-dumping duty of between 7.9% and 28.6% of CIF (cost, insurance and freight) prices for industrial use, as well as those destined for direct personal consumption. Mr Adul said pineapple used for personal consumption had lower antidumping tariffs maintained, at rates ranging from 2.6-16.8%. 

“This is good news for Thai canned pineapple exporters,” he said. 

 “Given the new rates, Thailand has seen a much better competitiveness in the Australia market, as the Philippines’ canned pineapple used in the food industry is still subject to antidumping tariffs of 18.7%, while the same product used for personal consumption from the Philippines is still subject to penalty tariffs of 5.9%-22.9% of CIF prices, higher than those levied on Thai products.” 

Thai exporters are urged to quickly exploit this competitive advantage over its peers to raise their shipments to the Australian market, said Mr Adul. 

He said Thailand fetched a combined 477 million baht from shipments of the two products to Australia in 2016, with the figures dropping to 388 million in 2017 and 275 million in 2018.