Thailand has said that its high-level trade talks with the United States have been delayed. These discussions were important because Thailand is trying to avoid a 36% import tariff that the Trump administration plans to impose on its goods.
Government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub confirmed that the talks, which were expected to take place this week, have been pushed back.
He also mentioned that Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira will share more information about the new schedule on Tuesday.
No specific reason was given for the delay in the talks, which were earlier planned for Wednesday.
Minister Pichai also cancelled his planned visit to Seattle last week, where he was supposed to meet with American business leaders. Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan, who is also part of the team handling these trade talks, said the Thai government is still hopeful of a positive outcome.
He pointed out that Thailand and the United States have shared good relations for a long time, which could help in reaching a fair deal.
Thailand is among the Southeast Asian countries that may be hit the hardest by Trump’s new tariff plan.
The reason is that Thailand’s trade surplus with the US has gone up significantly. At the beginning of Trump’s first term, the surplus was about $17 billion. Last year, it jumped to around $46 billion. This sharp increase made Thailand a target for higher import taxes.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s government is worried about how these tariffs might affect the country’s economy. The United States is Thailand’s biggest export market.
Officials say that if the tariff issue is not resolved, it could reduce Thailand’s economic growth by at least 1% this year.
To avoid this outcome, Thailand has made several offers to the US as part of the negotiation process. It has said it is ready to increase imports of American goods, including corn, natural gas, and ethane.
Thailand has also agreed to lower some of its import duties and remove certain non-tariff barriers that make it harder for US products to enter the Thai market.
In addition to this, Thailand has promised to inspect all goods being shipped to the US more carefully. This step is aimed at preventing other countries from using Thailand as a way to sneak their products into the US market and avoid the high tariffs. Such counterfeit trading practices have been a concern for US officials.
While the delay in talks has created uncertainty, Thai officials are still hopeful that a mutually beneficial agreement can be reached soon. The next few weeks will be important as both sides prepare to resume negotiations and try to avoid a full-blown trade conflict.