Commerce Minister Confirms Trade Talks with U.S. Will Proceed
LOS ANGELES, Nov 18 (TNA) - Thailand's Commerce Minister, Suphajee Suthumpun, met with major Thai business operators in the United States and confirmed that trade negotiations with the U.S. government, including on Reciprocal Tariffs, are continuing on the original timeline.
The Minister stressed that the government remains committed to concluding the talks while upholding both national sovereignty and economic interests.
Suphajee and senior Commerce Ministry officials used the meeting to gather feedback from Thai executives on strategies to counter U.S. tariffs and boost the competitiveness of Thai products.
The executives, representing companies such as CP North America and SCG International USA, Inc., highlighted pressing issues including logistics costs, market challenges, and the impact of U.S. tariffs.
They called on the government to strengthen its negotiating role, specifically urging for the reduction of tariffs on key product categories, enhanced marketing support, and the provision of in-depth U.S. market data.
The Minister responded by emphasizing the government’s focus on preventing Transshipment (product origin mislabeling) and supporting businesses in increasing their Local Content proportion.
She added that Thailand aims to leverage innovation to upgrade its food sector and position the country as a "Food Security Hub" to secure long-term global competitiveness.
In addition, the private sector also proposed issues related to promoting products from Thai SMEs, exporting high-potential agricultural products such as chicken and duck eggs, increasing the value of processed agricultural goods, and attracting foreign investors through facilitation measures such as the Long Stay Visa to stimulate purchasing power in the Thai real estate sector.
