US farm deregulation pushes Thailand towards value-led exports
TPSO says US efforts to cut farm and food costs could strengthen American competitiveness, urging Thailand to shift from volume to value.
- The United States is implementing a broad agricultural deregulation strategy designed to reduce supply-chain costs and increase the global competitiveness of its farm products.
- This move is expected to strengthen the position of American agricultural goods in global markets, creating significant competitive pressure for Thai exports.
- In response, Thailand's trade officials are pushing for a strategic shift from exporting high-volume basic commodities to focusing on higher-value agricultural products to maintain market share.
Nantapong Chiralerspong, director-general of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO), said the office has been closely monitoring the United States’ agricultural trade strategy, after the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its report, “A Deregulatory Agenda for American Agriculture & Consumers”.
The report reflects a new direction in agricultural and food regulation under the administration of President Donald Trump, focusing on cutting regulations, supporting the farm sector, and strengthening food and national security.
Nantapong said the USDA had divided its deregulation strategy into six key areas.
The first is cutting red tape and making government more efficient. This includes reforming the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), consolidating environmental regulations across agencies into a single central framework, and reducing regulatory requirements by 66%. The move is aimed at shortening approval times for agricultural, forestry and rural projects.
The USDA is also easing the Roadless Rule, which protects almost 45 million acres of forest, to allow economic use in some areas, while revising dairy import regulations to lower costs for consumers.
In addition, the USDA is reviewing biotechnology rules to provide exemptions for plants and microorganisms already regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is intended to reduce regulatory overlap, lower compliance costs and allow farmers faster and cheaper access to modern technology.
The second area is unlocking American energy and critical minerals. The USDA has proposed reviewing regulations to open up critical mineral production on public land, while modernising rules governing oil and gas management in the National Forest System to improve operational efficiency.
The third area is deregulation for greater affordability. The USDA plans to adjust inspection rules for poultry and swine processing plants to support faster production while maintaining hygiene and food-safety standards aligned with real production conditions. The report says this could reduce retail chicken prices by 16% and pork prices by 5%.
The fourth area puts farmers first. The USDA and the Department of the Interior (DOI) have developed the USDA-DOI Grazing Action Plan to simplify livestock regulations, expand access to grazing land and increase food supply for consumers.
The Farmer Bridge Assistance Program will also provide quick, uncomplicated financial support to help farmers cope with market volatility and higher costs. Other support schemes include Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), Price Loss Coverage (PLC), and Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC).
The fifth area focuses on regulatory clarity for farm and national security. The USDA is reviewing the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) to create an electronic filing system and strengthen enforcement of laws governing foreign ownership of agricultural land.
The measures also aim to protect Prime Farmland from countries considered hostile to the US, including restrictions on solar panels on highly productive farmland and on solar panels made by such countries in USDA projects. The report states that subsidising solar farms would reduce prime farmland and raise agricultural costs.
The sixth area is deregulation across the Trump administration. This includes revising the H-2A programme, which allows American employers to hire temporary seasonal foreign farm workers, by separating wage rates for entry-level and experienced workers.
Housing costs will also be adjusted to reflect actual expenses borne by farmers who provide accommodation for foreign workers. The administration is also reviewing vehicle greenhouse-gas emissions standards to help farmers buy vehicles at more affordable prices and reduce the cost of goods by lowering trucking costs.
Nantapong said the US reforms go beyond agriculture, covering energy, critical minerals, infrastructure and other industries. Together, these measures could structurally reduce supply-chain costs for American agricultural and food products, strengthening their competitiveness in global markets.
TPSO identified four key lessons for Thailand: using deregulation as a tool to reduce costs; using technology and innovation as game changers alongside clear rules; protecting producers while opening markets through accessible support measures; and building an integrated ecosystem linking production, processing and marketing across the value chain.
Nantapong said the US agricultural restructuring marked an important turning point, pushing Thailand to accelerate its own trade transformation “from volume to value”.
Thai agriculture, he said, must shift from being an “affected party” to an “opportunity creator”, moving beyond basic commodities towards value-based products. This would help strengthen competitiveness, manage cost pressures and preserve Thailand’s share in global markets.
In 2025, agricultural trade between Thailand and the US was valued at US$7.0688 billion, or 232.641 billion baht. Thai agricultural exports to the US were worth US$5.5509 billion, or 182.213 billion baht, while imports from the US stood at US$1.518 billion, or 50.427 billion baht.
