The Thai Rubber Association (TRA) is a private entity whose major role is to cooperate with rubber related public and private sectors as well as rubber growers locally and internationally. TRA is one of the Management Committee members of the International Rubber Association (IRA) which is globally recognized in international rubber trade community. Currently, IRA consists of 24 producing and consuming members from 8 countries. Its objective is to formulate rubber trade practices, to prepare international rubber contracts, to foster international cooperation on rubber production, trade and consumption among producing and consuming countries, to consider any problems in connection with international rubber trade as well as to facilitate continued improvement in international rubber trade.

IRA arranges Management Committee meeting once a year. This year, in representation of TRA, Mr. Supadetch Ongsakul, TRA Deputy Secretary General together with Ms. Piyaporn Saelim, TRA manager and Mr. Prasit Petnoosed, TRA officer participated in the IRA Management Committee meeting in conjunction with IRA 20th Biennial General Meeting on May 19, 2013 at Grand Park City Hall Hotel, Singapore. The important matter of the meeting is the preparation of RSS sample with reference to the Green Book in which TRA and MRE (Malaysian Rubber Exchange) proposed RSS sample prepared in 1968 by and in possession of MRE as it is closest to the original RSS master sample.

Additionally, another important matter is that the IRA Management Committee proposed that TRA be elected as the new IRA Chairman and Executive Secretary for the term of 2013-2014 as the time had come for MRE to relinquish both the Chairman and Executive Secretary posts to capable hands of another member organization. In this regard, TRA is highly honoured to invite Mr. Paul Sumade Lee, Chairman of Sri Trang International Pte LTD. to chair the IRA and Mr. Supadetch Ongsakul, TRA Deputy Secretary General to serve as the Executive Secretary of IRA.

The Chairmanship and Executive Secretaryship of IRA is great honour and prestige of TRA. On behalf of TRA, I wish to support the policy of IRA for continued development of international rubber trade.