On the afternoon of 12 October 2026, the “Thailand and Indonesia International Trade Compliance Seminar” was successfully held at the Entrepreneurs’ Study of the Wuzhou Century Cultural and Creative Centre in Jiulongpo District, Chongqing. The event was hosted by the Chongqing Western Business Development Research Centre.

Under the theme “Deepening Engagement in ASEAN Markets and Building a Strong Compliance Foundation,” the seminar aimed to help Chongqing enterprises seize opportunities in ASEAN markets, support the development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, strengthen their understanding of Southeast Asian market rules, and improve their ability to manage cross-border business risks.

Attorney Guo Ruoying, Founding Partner of Starry Law Firm Thailand, and Attorney Deng Mingyue, Founding Partner of Starry Law Firm Indonesia, were invited to deliver specialist presentations. Drawing on the legal and regulatory systems of the two countries and practical experience in supporting enterprises expanding overseas, they provided business-focused analysis on Thailand market opportunities and compliance planning, as well as legal risks and compliance management for Indonesia trade operations.

Responding to the practical needs of Chongqing foreign trade enterprises, the seminar used Thailand and Indonesia as focal markets and encouraged businesses to move beyond identifying market opportunities toward compliant operations and risk management.

I. Seizing Market Opportunities and Strengthening Compliance Planning for Product Expansion

In the Thailand session, Attorney Guo presented on “Taking Products to Thailand: Market Opportunities and Compliance Planning.” Her presentation covered Thailand’s market-development trends, regional trade preferences and the legal compliance matters enterprises should consider when entering the Thai market.

Attorney Guo first outlined Thailand’s economic environment and industrial transformation. She noted that, as an important manufacturing and trade hub in Southeast Asia, Thailand is showing new growth potential in areas such as new energy vehicles, smart electronics and the digital economy as the Thailand 4.0 strategy continues to advance. These developments create further opportunities for Chinese enterprises expanding overseas.

On trade cooperation, Attorney Guo analysed tariff preferences and rules of origin under the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). She helped enterprises understand the conditions for applying different trade arrangements and how to plan exports appropriately in light of product categories, supply-chain structures and origin-certification requirements.

Beyond market opportunities, the ability to lawfully bring products into Thailand is equally important. Addressing common product-entry questions, Attorney Guo introduced the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) standards system and relevant requirements of the Food and Drug Administration of Thailand (Thai FDA). Different products may be subject to different standards, certification or licensing procedures. Enterprises should check the applicable requirements for their specific product categories before export and market promotion, so that non-compliant certification does not disrupt importation or subsequent sales.

II. Identifying Trade Risks and Strengthening End-to-End Cross-Border Transaction Management

As one of ASEAN’s largest economies, Indonesia offers a substantial consumer market and abundant industrial resources, making it an important destination for Chinese enterprises undertaking international trade and overseas investment. More Chinese enterprises are entering Indonesia through direct exports, distribution partnerships and local trading entities.

As economic and trade cooperation deepens, the ways in which Chinese enterprises participate in the Indonesian market are becoming more diverse, while the legal relationships and regulatory requirements involved in cross-border transactions are also becoming more complex. In her presentation, “Legal Risks and Compliance Practices for Chinese Trading Enterprises Operating in Indonesia,” Attorney Deng systematically outlined the key legal risks that Chinese enterprises should address when conducting business in Indonesia.

For market access, Attorney Deng explained that enterprises carrying out trade activities in Indonesia should consider importer qualifications, import restrictions, applicable Indonesian National Standard (SNI) requirements and halal-certification requirements. Inadequate preparation for the relevant licences or certifications may delay customs clearance and result in additional costs such as demurrage, warehousing and return shipment. In addition to market access, enterprises should assess the qualifications of trading counterparties, contractual terms, delivery arrangements and the allocation of customs-clearance responsibilities, so as to avoid performance disputes arising from unclear contractual provisions or inconsistent documentation.

In relation to cross-border settlement, Attorney Deng emphasised that transaction authenticity, the flow of funds and bank compliance reviews can all affect the normal receipt and payment of trade proceeds. Enterprises should give due attention to the completeness and consistency of transaction documents, logistics documents and payment materials, and establish standardised cross-border transaction-management mechanisms.

Attorney Deng concluded by reminding enterprises that compliance management for Indonesia business should run through every stage, including pre-transaction due diligence, contract performance, customs clearance, fund settlement and subsequent operations. Through advance prevention and process management, enterprises can reduce uncertainty in cross-border operations and establish more standardised mechanisms for managing their Indonesia business.

III. From Market Access to Ongoing Operations: Making Compliance a Competitive Advantage for Overseas Expansion

Focusing on Thailand and Indonesia, the seminar addressed both the access barriers enterprises may encounter when entering overseas markets and the legal risks that may arise in actual transactions and ongoing operations.

For Chinese enterprises, overseas market expansion is no longer limited to finding customers and exporting products. It now extends across product certification, supply-chain management, intellectual property protection, contractual performance and localised operations.

Compliance is not only a basic requirement for entering overseas markets; it is also an important foundation for safeguarding transaction security, improving operational stability and strengthening long-term competitiveness. Starry will continue to work alongside Chinese enterprises expanding overseas, helping them explore more resilient and sustainable pathways for international development in ASEAN markets.