Supachai Says Thailand Team Has Met USTR, Talks Not Finished, Awaiting Anutin's Discussion with Trump
MacroGeopolitics
Supachai Suthamphan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, disclosed that the Thailand Team held discussions with the Office of the United States Trade Representative, or USTR, on the night of September 15, 2026, but the talks have not concluded. The goal of this round of negotiations is to finalize the details of the reciprocal trade agreement between Thailand and the United States, or ART, before Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul holds discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump. Supachai stated that no date has been set for that meeting. Previously, the U.S. side was considering September 17 or 18, 2026, for the talks. Regarding the figures and tariff rates, Supachai said it remains to be seen whether there will be good news, and details cannot yet be disclosed because the Prime Minister is to negotiate the special proposals with President Trump, while the Ministry of Commerce is responsible for negotiating the substance to ensure completeness. Thailand aims to maintain its conditions and push for tariff rates at the same level as neighboring countries in the region, and has submitted in-depth information along with clear evidence that there were no violations in the three industry groups under investigation. Thailand's manufacturing sector in all three groups has actual capacity utilization of 75–100%, not below 60% as understood.
