Economy Thailand Eyes Zero Tariffs on US Goods to Nix Trump’s 36% Levy

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of Thai PBS World via AFP

 

Thailand is contemplating zero-duty market access for more US goods in a bid to convince the Trump administration to abandon a looming 36% tariff on its exports.

 

Finance Minister Pichai Chunahavajira revealed plans could include reducing tariffs to zero on US longan and tilapia and amending regulations for US left-hand drive vehicles.

 

The US is demanding "ambitious proposals," Chunahavajira noted at a trade seminar in Bangkok. As negotiations continue, officials aim to finalise an agreement before President Trump’s August deadline. Thailand has committed to lifting import duties on 90% of US goods and dismantling various non-tariff barriers.

 

In response to US demands, Thailand is set to boost purchases of American agricultural and energy products, aiming to cut its $46 billion trade surplus. The US, Thailand’s top export market, accounted for 18% of its total exports in 2024. Last year's exports surged by 15% as traders hastened shipments ahead of the potential tariff.

 

Thai authorities remain cautious, with some US demands extending beyond tariffs and into geopolitical realms. Concessions could incite domestic unrest, but any deal must be mutually advantageous and sustainable for Thailand long-term, according to Chunahavajira.

 

Despite US demands on local content requirements, Thailand's reliance on older industries with high domestic inputs minimises the impact. However, the risk remains, as Trump targets countries rerouting Chinese goods to undermine US trade sanctions.

 

Thailand faces a pressing challenge, having received a tariff warning from the US amid global trade tensions. Securing reduced tariffs is crucial; failure could severely impact exports and slice one percentage point from the nation's economic growth.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-07-15

 

 

[ChrisY1]

Amazon is looking better each day....I hope this goes through!

[Yagoda]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

with some US demands extending beyond tariffs and into geopolitical realms.

workers rights

[KhaoHom]

This was proposed already. It's not good enough .

 

First, it will not be honored. Second, the surplus is so imbalanced it's said general goods will do nothing regarding trade imbalance.

 

Thailand will need to spend massively to correct the imbalance.

 

The first proposal was only to lower by 70% over 10 years, then 7 now 5 years. It's needs to be 20% per annum yoy to 0% in five years.

 

900 billion baht hit to economy. The kleptocracy just can't give it up for good of nation.

 

Should lower x rate, thin out over tourism, bring down condo prices potentially.

 

Jingoists and yellow shirts dirtying water.

 

Thailand is so stuck in the past you can feel it everywhere and in everything

[dinsdale]

The headline is slightly misleading. It's only some goods. Apart from this it's not just tariffs that make imported goods so expensive here. Excise tax and import duties really push up the prices.

[Geoffggi]

43 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

The headline is slightly misleading. It's only some goods. Apart from this it's not just tariffs that make imported goods so expensive here. Excise tax and import duties really push up the prices.

 

Absolutely correct, I was hoping for a minute that wine would be included .................LOL 😂😀😎

[impulse]

53 minutes ago, Geoffggi said:

 

Absolutely correct, I was hoping for a minute that wine would be included .................LOL

 

It'll probably be things like acorn hulls, ice skates and snowmobiles.

 

[CallumWK]

1 hour ago, Geoffggi said:

 

Absolutely correct, I was hoping for a minute that wine would be included .................LOL 😂😀😎

 

Who wants to drink US swill? Even in Europe they give it a miss

[ezflip]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

amending regulations for US left-hand drive vehicles.

The thai roads aren't safe enough with right-hand drive vehicles and you want to introduce left-hand vehicles in the mix???

[cjinchiangrai]

25 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

 

Who wants to drink US swill? Even in Europe they give it a miss

Not the people that know what they are doing. Every producing country has a range of quality. Not every French wine is good, not every American wine is bad. They both have plenty of both.

[Purdey]

Associated topic: one sees shops and restaurants disappearing due to people not getting enough customers. Now, are they expected to buy more American goods?

Will Apple and others start sending more Chinese-made products and pretend they are made in America?

 

[HappyExpat57]

5 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

Amazon is looking better each day....I hope this goes through!

All the electronics I want are items Amazon will not ship to Thailand, tariffs or no. For me this is a great big meh.

[Metapod]

dont forget the additional 10% for being associated with BRICS

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand has committed to lifting import duties on 90% of US goods and dismantling various non-tariff barriers.

I'll believe that when I see prices dropping on the supermarket shelves... 

[khunjeff]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

plans could include reducing tariffs to zero on US longan and tilapia

 

Yes, pandering to the all-powerful American longan lobby - that should work 🙄

[JJ-Thailand]

Cheaper peanut butter?

[SunnyinBangrak]

Great..will order a Mustang on day 1. More winning, thanks to Trump

[thailand49]

4 hours ago, ezflip said:

The thai roads aren't safe enough with right-hand drive vehicles and you want to introduce left-hand vehicles in the mix???

As they say it isn't the weapon but the driver!🤣

[poyai111]

Procrastinating politicians are shutting the barn doors after the horses have bolted. They have lest no time for negotiating a decent deal and have no leverage in negotiations. Preoccupation with their own narcissistic pecadillos and their obvious incapacity now leaves them with no alternatives. The yanks rule the roost and Thailand should immediately devalue the baht to compensate.

[Bruce Aussie]

5 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

 

Absolutely correct, I was hoping for a minute that wine would be included .................LOL 😂😀😎

Wine ok plenty Australian wine here only  at only double the price of Dan Murphys back home.

 

[norsurin]

0 tariffs on magacaps and other Trump merches i guess.They never stop surprise me.They think US is so dumb that they fall for this BS 

[CallumWK]

22 minutes ago, SunnyinBangrak said:

Great..will order a Mustang on day 1. More winning, thanks to Trump

 

That gonna be a big improvement on that 10 year old corolla which you bought second hand

[wensiensheng]

4 hours ago, ezflip said:

The thai roads aren't safe enough with right-hand drive vehicles and you want to introduce left-hand vehicles in the mix???

Yes. That bit, if true, is from another planet.

[wensiensheng]

24 minutes ago, SunnyinBangrak said:

Great..will order a Mustang on day 1. More winning, thanks to Trump

You can get a mustang now…for 5mil baht. So day 1 it’s 2.5 min baht, you still going to buy one? There’s a lot of plastic and huge depreciation to enjoy with a mustang.

[SunnyinBangrak]

7 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

 

That gonna be a big improvement on that 10 year old corolla which you bought second hand

It was a 2018 corolla but close🤣

[connda]

7 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

Amazon is looking better each day....I hope this goes through!

I was thinking the same thing.

 

1 hour ago, JJ-Thailand said:

Cheaper peanut butter?

And baked beans. 

[connda]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

I'll believe that when I see prices dropping on the supermarket shelves... 

Yeah - the Grape Nuts and Cream of Wheat won't cost $550 THB anymore and maybe they come back down to about the price retail that you buy them in the US plus shipping.  

[cedel]

5 hours ago, CallumWK said:

 

Who wants to drink US swill? Even in Europe they give it a miss

A lot of Californian wines are good, like Zinfandel rosé for example, only 2.49 €/bottle (92.90 Baht) by 6 bottles in LIDL in Germany.. and this include transport, VAT, import duties if any, and the supermarket profit.. so Thailand could do better, the cheapest bottle of wine in Thailand, is not even real wine but "fruit wine", a wine with some fruit juice added to lower the taxes.. but it is still 279 or 299 Baht by Makro and Big C!! 

[Luuk Chaai]

5 hours ago, cjinchiangrai said:

Not the people that know what they are doing. Every producing country has a range of quality. Not every French wine is good, not every American wine is bad. They both have plenty of both.

what's wrong with American wine is that much of it comes from California ( and yes a lot of it is very good )

what's wrong with French wine..   it comes from France ..

Go Italian !

[PETERTHEEATER]

Keep the tax on tilapia. There's an abundant local supply of this awful fish in Thailand without

importing US khrap.