Thailand seeks to reduce US fees and denies trading bilateral military cooperation
Kuala Lumpur, Aug 16 (KUNA) -- The Thai government announced on Sunday its readiness to hold technical negotiations with the United States in late August to reduce tariffs or expand exemptions for remaining Thai goods, and to protect Thai exporters and the country’s competitiveness. It affirmed that it would not trade bilateral military cooperation with the U.S. for commercial concessions.
Lalida Perisuwatana, deputy spokesperson for the Thai government, told the Bangkok Post that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Savathit Suthumpiban would lead the Thai delegation to the United States in late August.
Perisuwatana explained that the delegation would present data on trade and investment, as well as links between the two countries’ production chains, during the negotiations, aiming to secure the best possible tariff terms and reduce the burdens on Thai exporters.
She added that about 72 percent of Thai goods subject to U.S. measures under Sections 301 and 232 have received tariff exemptions, while the remaining 28 percent are still subject to tariffs. She stressed that these percentages reflect the number of product categories covered by the U.S. measures and do not represent their share of the total value of Thai exports to the United States.
Thai companies have invested approximately $20 billion in the United States, with plans for additional investments exceeding $5 billion, she noted.
At least 30 percent of Thailand’s trade surplus with the United States stems from exports by U.S. companies that have established production bases in Thailand, reflecting the interconnection of supply chains and investment between the two countries.
The Thai minister denied reports suggesting that military cooperation with the United States might be used as leverage during tariff negotiations, affirming that the talks would be conducted exclusively within the framework of trade and investment, without offering military cooperation in exchange for tariff concessions.
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