Thailand, RI in rice barter

Thailand, RI in rice barter

BANGKOK (Reuters): Thailand and Indonesia have agreed in
principle to a counter-trade deal for the sale of Thai rice to
Jakarta to be paid in terms of some goods, including crude oil, a
commerce ministry official said yesterday.

"Yes, there has been discussion and we have agreed in
principle that this will happen," said Duangporn Rodphaya, head
of the ministry's foreign trade department.

"But they have to give us a list of goods they want to include
in counter-trade and crude oil is one of the items," the official
told Reuters.

However, she said details of how much rice would be bartered
had not been decided yet. Indonesia has imported almost one
million tons of Thai rice since the beginning of this year.

"The talks have not yet been concluded, but they will be
discussed further by our representatives there (in Jakarta)," she
added.

Thailand has been the biggest supplier of rice to Indonesia so
far.