Anutin orders urgent US tariff talks as deadline nears

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered the Commerce Ministry and relevant agencies to accelerate tariff negotiations with the United States, amid concern that Thailand could be left at a competitive disadvantage as Washington concludes trade deals with several other countries.

Government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said on June 2 that Anutin had issued the instruction during a Cabinet meeting, urging officials to secure a conclusion to the talks as quickly as possible.

The prime minister noted that the United States had already reached agreements with several countries, including Asean members and major economies such as the European Union, Japan and South Korea.

This has left Thailand with limited time to negotiate before the current tariff rate is expected to expire around July 24.

Anutin has assigned Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun to lead the relevant agencies in pushing the negotiations forward.

Rachada said the issue was not the responsibility of any single ministry, but was directly tied to Thailand’s national competitiveness, export sector, entrepreneurs, farmers and workers across the economy.

The prime minister, she said, had instructed all agencies to work with urgency while remaining careful and ensuring that national interests remain the top priority.

The latest progress came after Suphajee chaired a meeting of the US trade negotiation strategy working group on May 20, together with the industry minister, the Thai trade representative and related agencies.

The committee was appointed by the prime minister on April 28 to drive negotiations on US tariff measures and protect the interests of Thai citizens, farmers and businesses.

At the meeting, officials set the direction for talks on unresolved issues under the Thailand-US Agreement on Reciprocal Trade, or ART.

All agencies were instructed to work together on constructive proposals that would serve the mutual interests of both countries and help conclude the process before the United States announces the outcome of its Section 301 investigation.

Suphajee also held talks with the US Trade Representative in Washington, DC, from May 3 to 5.

According to the government, the US side made clear that it wanted Thailand to speed up the conclusion of the ART and recognised Thailand’s sincerity in seeking to rebalance trade.

Both sides agreed to continue negotiations at both policy and technical levels.

“The government will not allow Thailand to lose momentum in global trade,” Rachada said. “The prime minister has instructed all agencies to move quickly so that tariff negotiations with the United States can be concluded in a way that best protects the country’s interests.”