Suphajee Negotiates US Trade Deal to Avoid 12.5% Tariff

Thansettakij•Economy•2d ago

Reader Briefing

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Suphajee Suthamphan negotiated with high-level US officials in Washington D.C. to advance a reciprocal trade agreement and address Section 301 investigations.

•Suphajee Suthamphan met with US officials in Washington D.C. on July 15–16, 2026.
•The primary goal was to advance the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) and monitor Section 301 investigation results.
•The US has preliminarily set a 12.5% tariff for 46 countries, including Thailand, that lack laws banning forced labor imports.
•In 2025, the US was Thailand's second-largest trading partner with a total trade value of over 93,651.36 million USD.

Overview

•Suphajee Suthamphan held bilateral discussions with US representatives from July 15–16, 2026, in Washington D.C., USA.
•Suphajee Suthamphan pushed for progress on the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) and monitored Section 301 investigation results.
•Suphajee Suthamphan emphasized Thailand's role as a reliable partner in Southeast Asia and requested flexibility in negotiations based on different national contexts.
•The US side is further considering Thailand's proposals to reduce gaps in expectations before the next round of discussions.
•Thailand is currently under Section 301 investigation regarding structural overcapacity and the absence of measures banning forced labor imports.
•The US may announce high tariff rates for countries that do not have a trade agreement or cannot comply with agreed terms.
•In 2025, Thailand had a trade surplus with the US valued at 51,361.41 million USD.
•Suphajee Suthamphan aims to reach a conclusion on the ART to ensure Thailand receives appropriate and competitive tariff rates.

Full article content is available on the original source.

Read on Thansettakij (Thai Version)View in Google Translate

Source: Thansettakij (Original)

Key Entities

Person

Suphajee Suthamphan(ศุภจี สุธรรมพันธุ์)

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce of Thailand.

Susie Wilesℹ️

Head of the White House working group.

Howard Lutnickℹ️

US Secretary of Commerce.

Rick Switzerℹ️

Deputy US Trade Representative.

Place

USA(สหรัฐอเมริกา)ℹ️

A country and trading partner of Thailand.

Washington D.C.(วอชิงตัน ดี.ซี.)ℹ️

The location where bilateral discussions between Thailand and the USA took place.

Policy

Agreement on Reciprocal Trade(ความตกลงการค้าต่างตอบแทนไทย-สหรัฐฯ)

A trade agreement (ART) being negotiated between Thailand and the USA.

Law

Section 301(มาตรา 301)ℹ️

A US legal provision used for investigations that can drive tax measures.

IEEPA emergency measures(มาตรการฉุกเฉิน IEEPA)

Emergency measures used by the US President for tax collection, which the US Supreme Court ruled unlawful.

Organization

Ministry of Commerce(กระทรวงพาณิชย์)ℹ️

The Thai government ministry led by Suphajee Suthamphan.

White House(ทำเนียบขาว)ℹ️

The US executive office represented by Susie Wiles.

US Department of Commerce(กระทรวงพาณิชย์สหรัฐฯ)ℹ️

The US government department represented by Howard Lutnick.