US tariffs could flood Thai market with cheap Chinese goods

[webfact]

Photo courtesy of The Nation

 

by Puntid Tantivangphaisal

Thailand may soon be swamped with an influx of cheap Chinese imports if the United States slaps high tariffs on Chinese goods, warns former Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai. The country must brace itself for economic turbulence, or risk being caught off guard.

 

Speaking at the Chula Thailand Presidents Summit 2025 at Chulalongkorn University, Surakiart cautioned that if the US tightens trade restrictions on China, surplus goods will inevitably be redirected to other countries, with Thailand a likely destination. The government, private sector, and civil society must collaborate to decide whether to embrace or resist the flood of imports.

“Thailand’s future depends on its political and strategic stance in economic and geopolitical contexts.”

Surakiart added that upcoming trade negotiations with Washington will go beyond tariffs and could have far-reaching consequences. Without a unified national strategy, he warned, the country could face domestic instability.

Surakiart highlighted potential internal fractures, predicting that the Thai private sector may splinter due to conflicting interests, while the government could struggle to present a united front, given that different ministries, each controlled by rival political factions, oversee trade matters.

 

To avoid chaos, he urged Thailand to appoint special government representatives to spearhead negotiations on various trade and policy issues, mirroring US congressional committees that handle matters separately. He also stressed the importance of working closely with ASEAN nations to strengthen bargaining power, particularly on sensitive issues like the treatment of Uyghur refugees and Myanmar’s political crisis, reported The Nation.

 

“Thailand must be prepared for disruptions and rapid changes. Resilience, adaptability, and strong leadership across all sectors are critical to navigating this challenging landscape.”

 

Source: The Thaiger 

-- 2025-02-04

 

 

[WHansen]

It's already flooded, have they not seen Shopee, Lazada and the 20 baht shops everywhere.

[ignore it]

And the bad news is?

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The government, private sector, and civil society must collaborate to decide whether to embrace or resist the flood of imports.

If Thailand becomes a transfer hub for Chinese goods and gets caught out... then beware the wrath of Trump.

[Ralf001]

Hope so.

[Hermes Live]

The flood wont happen if the Government does its job and scrutinizing the import of goods for the quality.

[KannikaP]

18 minutes ago, Hermes Live said:

The flood wont happen if the Government does its job and scrutinizing the import of goods for the quality.

You are joking I hope. Government and Job do not go into the same sentence.

[FlorC]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

If Thailand becomes a transfer hub for Chinese goods and gets caught out... then beware the wrath of Trump.

Yes tarriffs , the soner the better , let's tank the THB.

[ChrisY1]

These people must only do their shopping in Paris or something....Shopee...Lazada...Thaiwatsadu...DoHome...Every market in Thailand...Chinatown..the country is a dumping ground for cheap junk

[Purdey]

People have a choice of whether to buy cheap goods. If they do, they cannot blame anyone for the quality. If Thais were as well-off as those in the West, they probably would prefer higher quality. Even now, those who are wealthy pay more than the poor for their goods. 

 

The main issue is that the West cannot compete with the Chinese.

[OneZero]

Former Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai:

Well, on this matter at least, I believe this fellow has his head on straight.  In part he is warning against becoming so imbedded with China that the Thai gov't fails to see the long-term nefarious intentions of & blackmail by the CCP.

 

Will Thai decision makers have the smarts & nerve to back out of the CCP submarine deal?

[Srikcir]

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

beware the wrath of Trump.

Trump's war of tariffs relate to export sales to the US. He's hardly aware of international trade between other countries and their trade balances.

He (incorrectly) focuses on any country with a trade surplus on export of goods (although includes services that he seems unaware) compared to US export value. Such as Thailand's current situation. He also seems unaware that the US needs massive imports to satisfy 350 million people compared to far lower populations of many exporting nations to the US. Trump imposing tariffs on imports most often will have little effect on the trade balance.

More beware of Trump's inability to learn and his arrogance that only he knows how to fix everything imagined in his narrow intelligence.

[Srikcir]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand may soon be swamped with an influx of cheap Chinese imports

It's optional to purchase. Research vs guess.

[billd766]

21 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

It's optional to purchase. Research vs guess.

I would rather buy Thai made stuff rather than Chinese, but I cannot always find what I am looking for in Thai made stuff.

 

I cannot remember the last time I bought anything from the USA, so Trump's tariffs have no effect on me.

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, OneZero said:

Will Thai decision makers have the smarts & nerve to back out of the CCP submarine deal?

No

[hotchilli]

34 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Trump's war of tariffs relate to export sales to the US. He's hardly aware of international trade between other countries and their trade balances.

He (incorrectly) focuses on any country with a trade surplus on export of goods (although includes services that he seems unaware) compared to US export value. Such as Thailand's current situation. He also seems unaware that the US needs massive imports to satisfy 350 million people compared to far lower populations of many exporting nations to the US. Trump imposing tariffs on imports most often will have little effect on the trade balance.

But as we have seen, the threat of tariffs seems to bring some people to the negotiating table rather swiftly and talk about how FTA's should work.

If China uses Thailand as a hub so that Chinese goods appear to come from here then good luck on Thailand having talks about trade.