Thailand ready for US tariff talks, targets July conclusion
Suphajee Suthumpun outlines the ministry's strategy to expedite negotiations on RT tariffs and Annex 3 exemptions, ensuring the final agreement aligns with the newly formed government's policies and provides mutual benefits by mid-year.
- Thailand's Ministry of Commerce is pushing to conclude ongoing tax negotiations with the United States, setting a target for completion by July.
- Negotiations are actively proceeding at the director-general level, but both sides still have differing expectations on several issues that need to be resolved.
- During the talks, Thailand is permitted to propose a list of goods for potential tariff exemptions, though the final outcome depends on the overall negotiation results.
- Even if an agreement is reached by the target date, any resulting tax privileges will not take effect immediately due to post-agreement implementation processes.
Suphajee Suthumpun, Minister of Commerce, revealed the progress of the tax negotiations with the United States, stating that currently, Thailand is continuously moving forward with the negotiations with the US to find joint conclusions on each issue.
There are still many issues where both sides have different needs and expectations.
Some issues require approval at the policy level.
Most recently, on February 12, 2026, discussions were held at the director-general level.
The US expressed its congratulations to Thailand on successfully holding the election and expects the formation of the new government to be completed as scheduled.
Both sides discussed the timeline of the negotiations and the drafting of the agreement, which is related to the status of the government formation.
Both sides expect the negotiations to reach a mutual conclusion soon.
The US side has no objection if the Thai side submits a proposed list of goods to be exempted from the RT tariff under Annex 3, or other proposals, before the conclusion of the negotiations.
However, the outcome of the consideration will primarily depend on the negotiation results.
"Regarding the timeline, Thailand, through the Ministry of Commerce, plans to urgently push for the conclusion of the negotiations where both sides benefit, aiming for completion within July," Suphajee stated.
However, regarding the advantages and disadvantages, when considering the RT tariff status, Thailand remains in an equal position with other ASEAN countries.
Meanwhile, regarding the advantage of tax exemptions under Annex 3 with the US, different conditions have been set depending on the negotiations.
Overall, however, the privileges will not take effect immediately.
For instance, in the case of Malaysia, the privileges will take effect 60 days after the implementation of the agreement enters into force, according to Malaysia's domestic law, and a notification letter is sent to the US.
At this stage, it still means that exported goods in Annex 3 remain subject to the regular RT tariff.
