Ex-Minister Questions Conflicting US Trade Deal Claims
A former deputy commerce minister is demanding clarity on conflicting government statements about US trade negotiations, questioning why officials announced tariff reductions to 19% when Thailand currently faces a 12.5% rate under new US tr
Former Deputy Commerce Minister Voravong Rangmanakul has raised alarm over conflicting government statements on US tariff negotiations released within two days of each other. He is demanding that Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suthathip Sutheewongse provide clear answers on whether a trade deal with the United States has been concluded and explain why the government announced a tariff rate of no more than 19% when Thailand is currently facing a 12.5% rate.
Rangmanakul noted that under the administration of Prime Minister Patthamahorn Shinawatra, Thailand signed free trade agreements with the European Free Trade Association on January 23, 2025, and with Bhutan on April 3, 2025. Negotiations with the United States, which resulted in tariff reductions from 36% to 19%, were announced on August 1, 2025.
Thailand's tariff status in the US market has undergone multiple legal changes in less than a year. Initially, Thailand faced retaliatory tariffs under US law IEEPA at 36%, which was reduced to 19% under the previous government's negotiating team led by former Deputy Prime Minister Pijai Chunhavachir and former Commerce Minister Pijai Naripattharaphan.
On February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the IEEPA law does not authorize the president to impose tariffs, rendering the entire retaliatory tariff structure void. The US then applied a temporary 10% tariff on all countries under Section 122, with a 150-day validity ending July 24, 2026.
On the same day, the US Trade Representative's office announced tariffs under Section 301 for 60 trading partners, placing Thailand in a group facing 12.5% tariffs, while Cambodia, Indonesia, and Malaysia faced only 10%—giving Thai exporters a 2.5-percentage-point cost disadvantage.
Rangmanakul criticized the contradictory messaging, stating that within two days the public heard conflicting claims—one saying the deal was closed, the other saying it was not. He questioned whether the government has a unified information set and who bears responsibility for communicating with the public and markets, since this data directly affects investor and business decisions.
The Phum Jai Thai Party Facebook page announced on September 5, 2026, that Deputy Prime Minister Suthathip had successfully closed the US trade deal, reducing tariffs from 36% to 19%. However, on September 7, 2026, a Commerce Ministry spokesperson clarified that the "deal closure" narrative may have been misleading, confirming only significant progress and positive signals but stating that final tariff rates still await confirmation.
Rangmanakul emphasized that the government must urgently explain the difference between the current 12.5% tariff rate Thailand faces and the "no more than 19%" figure communicated as a negotiation outcome.
