Thailand submitted an additional proposal to the United States on Sunday night (July 6) and remains open to further revisions if a deal cannot be reached, Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira said. Speaking to reporters at Government House in Bangkok on Monday, Pichai provided an update on the ongoing tariff negotiations with the United States.
He said the latest proposal was based on the original framework previously submitted by Thailand. “The visit to the US was primarily to listen to their views and identify specific items of interest, so we could make adjustments where feasible,” he said.
Pichai emphasised that this phase was still limited to discussions on tariffs and product lists. He noted that only a few countries had reached agreements with the US thus far. “According to reports, the deadline may be extended to August 1, at which point we’ll know when remaining countries can conclude negotiations.”
“There are still many areas under review on the US side,” Pichai said, noting that Thailand had also made proposals unrelated to tariff rates. This deal can continue to be improved over time, he added.
When asked whether Thailand would adopt Vietnam’s approach of setting a 0% import duty, Pichai laughed and replied, “Our principle is to have an open discussion—what they want and what we want. We are reviewing the full list of goods we’ve imported from them.”
“Once any agreement is reached, we must also ensure protection for domestic producers,” he added.
Regarding concerns over transshipped goods, Pichai said this issue was being considered under a separate category. “Thailand has been cooperating on this matter. In some cases, we’ve invited US officials to work alongside us. This kind of collaboration must continue—it’s not concluded yet.”
When asked whether Thailand would fall into the group of countries receiving letters about higher tariff rates or be among those still negotiating, Pichai said, “We’ll have to wait and see what they decide. We should have clarity in the next two to three days.”
Source : The Nation |
