Thailand continues ‘Trump tariff’ talks despite US Supreme Court review
Ekniti Nitithanprapas affirms Thailand’s trade talks with the US will continue despite the Supreme Court review of President Trump’s retaliatory tariffs
Deputy PM and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said Thailand will continue negotiations with the United States over the so-called “Trump tariffs,” even as the US Supreme Court begins hearings to determine whether President Donald Trump’s retaliatory tariffs on other countries exceed his executive authority.
Detailed negotiations are being led by Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun, who is coordinating with the US trade delegation on technical matters.
Ekniti noted that Thailand had already held its first round of talks with the United States Trade Representative (USTR), which ended on a positive note. During that meeting, Thailand emphasised its long-standing alliance and friendship with the United States.
“We made it clear to the US that if Thailand can enhance its competitiveness through lower tariff rates, we would like to be given that opportunity,” Ekniti said.
He added that the current focus is on Appendix 3 of the negotiation framework, which could open further market access for Thai exports. To refine Thailand’s proposals, Ekniti convened a meeting on November 6 with representatives from the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), the Thai Chamber of Commerce, and other private sector groups to identify export products with strong potential in the US market.
“The government wants a concrete list of products that have real market demand in the US. Negotiating on goods that can’t be sold there would be meaningless,” he said.
Ekniti stressed that Thailand must not remain idle or wait for the US court’s ruling, but instead continue seeking trade opportunities and improving competitiveness for Thai businesses.
“Today, non-tariff barriers pose greater challenges than tariffs. We must keep our entrepreneurs prepared for every trade condition,” he said.
