On April 21, 2025, reports from the Thai Government House confirmed that the trip by Thailand’s negotiation team, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Pichai Chunhavajira, to participate in trade negotiations regarding the 36% reciprocal tariffs imposed on Thailand by the U.S., has been postponed indefinitely.
The negotiations were initially scheduled with representatives of the U.S. government under President Donald Trump’s leadership on April 23.
The delay in the travel plans occurred despite earlier commitments by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra that Thailand was prepared for full-scale negotiations on the aforementioned date. However, as of the latest reports, both Pichai Chunhavajira and Minister of Commerce Pichai Naripthaphan remain in Thailand, awaiting a response from the U.S. side for an official confirmation.
Minister of Commerce Pichai Naripthaphan confirmed today that he and his team are ready to travel to the U.S. as soon as a schedule is received, emphasizing the need for a response and arrangement from the United States Trade Representative (USTR). He reassured that they are in constant communication with USTR.
Minister Pichai expressed concerns about the potential impact of “Trump 2.0” policies on Thai exports in the second quarter of 2025, considering that Thai exports had performed well in the first quarter. January saw an expansion of 13.6%, and February grew by 14%. Detailed export figures for March will be announced on April 24.
Earlier today, China issued a warning indicating it will retaliate against countries collaborating with the U.S. in ways that undermine Beijing’s interests.
This caution comes as the Trump administration reportedly plans to leverage tariff negotiations to urge U.S. allies to scale back dealings with China. Recently, Trump deferred significant tariff hikes on other countries for 90 days while further increasing tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%.
