[International] Thai-US Tariff Negotiations Heat Up; Thailand Reportedly Considers Military Cooperation as Bargaining Chip
RtiTalk 小編13d agoEdited
The Thai-Taiwan Times reported today (12th) that trade negotiations between Thailand and the United States may involve new strategic bargaining chips. According to foreign media citing unnamed Thai officials, the Thai government is considering proposing during the resumption of reciprocal trade talks with the US this month that if the US further increases import tariffs on Thai goods and causes significant impact on the Thai economy, Bangkok may re-examine certain bilateral military cooperation, including arrangements for the annual "Exercise Cobra Gold" joint military exercise.
The report indicated that this stance is expected to be included in Thailand's next round of negotiation proposals, but the content will remain broadly worded, not a decided reduction in military cooperation. A spokesperson for the Thai Ministry of Defence stated that the relevant proposal cannot be verified or confirmed at present, and if further consultations take place, the focus will likely remain on strengthening cooperation.
The Thai military, the US Department of Defense, and the Thai Ministry of Commerce have not yet responded further to the report.
Thailand had a trade surplus of approximately 51.4 billion US dollars with the US in 2025. Most of its export goods currently face an additional 12.5% tariff under Section 301 of the US Trade Act. As the US government continues to investigate overcapacity and unfair trade practices in some countries, Thailand is seeking more favorable tariff conditions and has proposed reducing or eliminating certain import tariffs, as well as adopting US standards for processing beef, lamb, and alcoholic beverages.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Suphajee Suthumpun previously stated that Thailand and the US have a long-term strategic partnership, a treaty of friendship, and a basis for bilateral investment, thus Thailand should receive more favorable trade treatment. She also pointed out that negotiations are not a task for a single ministry but a comprehensive government action involving diplomacy, defense, commerce, and the private sector. One of Thailand's goals is to avoid final tariffs exceeding 19% from the previously negotiated framework.
Thailand and the United States have a long history of security cooperation. Thailand, along with the Philippines, is a treaty ally of the US in Southeast Asia. The two countries jointly host the "Cobra Gold" multinational joint military exercise annually. The US describes it as one of the largest annual multinational military exercises on mainland Asia, with approximately 8,000 personnel from 30 countries participating last year.
However, bilateral military cooperation has also been affected by political factors in the past. After the coup in Thailand in 2014, the US temporarily reduced the scale of joint military exercises and suspended some military exchanges before gradually resuming defense relations. Therefore, the report suggests that if Thailand indeed mentions military cooperation in trade negotiations, it would be a rare instance of Thailand incorporating its long-term security partnership into economic and trade negotiations.
The US Department of Defense has recently continued to publicly emphasize the importance of the Thai-US alliance. During a visit to Bangkok last week, high-ranking officials from the US Department of Defense met with the Permanent Secretary of the Thai Ministry of Defence and stated that both sides reaffirmed the continuous strengthening of the Thai-US alliance. At this stage, whether Thailand will formally list military cooperation as a negotiation condition still awaits confirmation after further trade consultations between the two sides this month. (Editor: Chung Chin-lung)
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=225758
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