Anutin’s first economic meeting to form ‘Team Thailand’ for US talks
Anutin will chair the first economic ministers’ meeting on Oct 15, with Suphajee Suthumpun expected to lead Thailand’s new US trade negotiation team.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will chair the first meeting of the Economic Ministers Committee on Wednesday (October 15), marking the inaugural session of the new government’s key economic policymaking body.
The meeting follows Cabinet approval last week of the committee’s formation, with the prime minister as chair and more than 25 members drawn from economic ministries and related agencies. The session will take place at Parliament House.
Suphajee set to lead US trade talks
A major agenda item will be the appointment of a new US-Thailand Trade Policy Committee, which will replace the previous panel that concluded its work under the former administration. The new team, dubbed “Team Thailand”, will lead negotiations on tariff-related matters between Thailand and the United States. Anutin is expected to assign Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun to head the group.
Suphajee earlier revealed that the Commerce Ministry will present two key issues at the first economic ministers’ meeting: tariff negotiations with the United States and free trade agreement (FTA) discussions.
Talks with Washington are currently in the technical phase, focusing on rules of origin and regional value content (RVC). The ministry aims to conclude the negotiations by the end of 2025.
She noted that the appointment of the Thai negotiation team must be formally approved by the Cabinet, as multiple ministries and private-sector representatives will be involved.
The Commerce Ministry is prioritising efforts to mitigate the impact of US tariff measures, given America’s importance as one of Thailand’s top export markets. Suphajee said the government hopes to finalise the detailed framework by year-end to give businesses clarity and reduce uncertainty.
She also urged all relevant sectors to prepare in advance, identify alternative markets, and develop product strategies aligned with global demand.
Commerce Ministry to push FTA talks
The Commerce Ministry will propose accelerating free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations. Thailand currently has 14 FTAs in force and aims to conclude two new agreements, with the European Union and South Korea, by 2025, as part of its strategy to expand access to high-value export markets.
BOI to seek approval for ‘Fast Pass’ to speed up major investments
The Board of Investment (BOI) will also present measures to facilitate foreign investment, focusing on expediting large-scale and strategic projects worth more than 300 billion baht.
BOI Secretary-General Narit Therdsteerasukdi said the government plans to introduce a new mechanism called “Fast Pass”, granting priority status to major national projects. Those with Fast Pass designation would benefit from “fast-track” licensing and regulatory procedures, ensuring smoother and quicker investment approval.
The proposal will be submitted to both the BOI Board and the Economic Ministers Committee for consideration, with a call for cross-agency cooperation to remove bottlenecks and accelerate private-sector investment.
