Electrical and Electronic Equipment - Environmental impacts of trade liberalization

This report examines the environmental consequences of the rapid expansion of Thailand's electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) sector, driven by trade liberalization and export-led growth. It identifies risks associated with production and e-waste management while proposing policy and industry interventions to improve environmental performance and market competitiveness.

• Thailand is a major regional producer of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), ranking in the top three alongside China and the Philippines. These three nations collectively represented nearly one third of the global value of EEE exports in 2003.
• The EEE sector causes significant environmental degradation through the consumption of energy and raw metals, as well as soil and water contamination. Specifically, the volume of e-waste—which contains toxic substances that can contaminate groundwater and soil—has been increasing at an annual rate of 12 per cent.
• Recycling efforts are currently obstructed by a lack of market-based incentives and the failure to enforce waste control regulations. To address this, the report recommends enacting the draft Thai WEEE Act, utilizing Board of Investment (BOI) incentives and tax measures to support the de-manufacturing industry, and encouraging innovation in product design to meet strict export market environmental requirements.

APA

Jantarasarsophon,, C. T. (2007). Electrical and Electronic Equipment - Environmental impacts of trade liberalization. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/electrical-and-electronic-equipment-environmental-impacts-trade-liberalization

Chicago

Jantarasarsophon,, Charit Tingsabadh,Pracha. Electrical and Electronic Equipment - Environmental impacts of trade liberalization. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2007. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/electrical-and-electronic-equipment-environmental-impacts-trade-liberalization.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jantarasarsophon, |first1=Charit Tingsabadh,Pracha |title=Electrical and Electronic Equipment - Environmental impacts of trade liberalization |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=6 December 2007 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/electrical-and-electronic-equipment-environmental-impacts-trade-liberalization |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jantarasarsophon2007electrical, author = {Jantarasarsophon,, Charit Tingsabadh,Pracha}, title = {{Electrical and Electronic Equipment - Environmental impacts of trade liberalization}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2007}, month = dec, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/electrical-and-electronic-equipment-environmental-impacts-trade-liberalization}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }