Australian Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister, Peter McGauran, said higher duties would be applied following the triggering of special agricultural safeguard provisions under the agreement.

"The safeguards can be implemented when imports from Thailand reach predetermined volumes," McGauran said.

"In 2006, these volumes are 22,434,591 kilograms of canned tuna and 6,083,197 litres of canned pineapple," he said. "The volumes of imports of canned tuna and canned pineapple have now both exceeded the trigger volumes."

Now that the ceiling has been breached, tariffs will increase from the FTA preferential rate of 2.5 per cent for canned tuna and zero for canned pineapple, to the normal rate of 5 per cent for each product.

McGauran said the increase would remain in place for the rest of the year.

"Shipments contracted before the trigger volume was reached and currently in transit will be counted in next calendar year's allocation," he said.

The 2.5-per-cent increase will flow on to the shelf price, making Thai tuna more expensive, he said, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

He says local producers will benefit.

"It is good news because it increases the relative competitiveness of Australian producers," he was quoted as saying. "Imported Thai tuna will be more expensive for consumers, and I believe this will assist Australian producers and processors of canned tuna."