(Sept 24): Thailand and the US remain apart over market access in tariff negotiations that have stretched beyond an expected call between Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and President Donald Trump last week.

“We are right now in serious discussions with the US on the issue of tariffs,” Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

“We are not a superpower, and we negotiate. We try to strike the best deal. We try to accommodate where we can,” he said on Wednesday in New York. 

Anutin and Trump had been expected to speak around Sept 17-18 to conclude the negotiations, but the call did not take place. Thai officials have yet to announce a new date for the leaders to speak.

Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun said last week that most issues had been resolved, with remaining points being negotiated with the Office of the US Trade Representative before being elevated to the two leaders.

Thailand currently faces a 12.5% US tariff on most covered exports under a Section 301 action tied to restrictions on imports made with forced labour. Bangkok is seeking treatment comparable with regional peers including Indonesia and Malaysia, which face a lower 10% levy. Vietnam and the Philippines, like Thailand, are subject to 12.5%.

The two sides are discussing access to Thailand’s market and the treatment of US companies seeking to invest in the country, Sihasak said. Bangkok is seeking terms that benefit both economies while recognising that negotiations require “give and take on both sides”, he said.

One sticking point is likely US access to Thailand’s pork market. American pork is effectively barred because Thai regulations prohibit the use of certain feed additives commonly used by US producers.

Sihasak said Thailand believes trade shouldn’t be “weaponised” and continues to support a multilateral, rules-based trading system. Still, as a smaller economy negotiating with the US, the Thai government is seeking the best terms it can while holding firm on issues it considers important to its national interests.

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