Thailand’s Department of Foreign Trade  has warned Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry that shipments of cheese and curd classed as 'other cheese' are approaching the threshold for a temporary tariff increase. Exporters with Australian cheese and curd products in tariff line 0406.90.00 are subject to the special agricultural safeguard provisions under the Thailand Australia Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA). Other products are not affected. This week saw 'other cheese' exports to Thailand reach beyond 350 tons, which was 80 percent of the trigger level for the 2010 calendar year. Reaching the trigger level will increase tariffs by 10 percent, to a total of 30 percent, until the end of the calendar year. Shipments under a pre-settled contract with Thailand will attract the TAFTA preferential rate of 20 percent, but will be counted in the volume of imports towards the 2011 trigger levels. The department has sought a review of the TAFTA trigger levels to negotiate a higher amount.