World, April 2nd, 2025 — U.S. President Donald Trump announced a sweeping tariff policy, imposing a 10% base import tax on all goods entering the U.S. and significantly higher rates on key trading partners.
The new tariffs, presented at the White House with supporting charts, target China at 34%, the EU at 20%, South Korea at 25%, Japan at 24%, and Taiwan at 32%.
Thailand faces one of the steepest tariffs at 36%, alongside other Southeast Asian nations, including Vietnam (46%), Indonesia (32%), Malaysia (24%), Cambodia (49%), Myanmar (44%), and Laos (48%).
The Thai PM released an official statement today and Thailand’s response here.
In response, Commerce Ministry Permanent Secretary Wutthikrai Leeveeraphan held an early morning press conference, outlining Thailand’s strategy to mitigate the impact. The government is preparing aggressive trade negotiations and considering measures such as reducing import taxes on U.S. goods and increasing purchases from the U.S. to balance trade.
He noted that other major U.S. trade partners have already submitted negotiation proposals worth over $100 billion, but Washington has yet to respond.
Thailand is also bracing for potential retaliatory tariffs. The U.S. is expected to raise duties on Thai semiconductor imports to 25%, while pharmaceuticals and timber products could also face higher tariffs.
Thai exports of steel and aluminum have already suffered from previous U.S. tariff hikes, and further increases could lead to estimated losses of $7-8 billion (approximately 280 billion baht).
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the tariffs would take effect immediately, calling April 2 “Liberation Day.” A 25% tariff on global auto imports will follow on April 3rd. She emphasized that Trump’s administration is determined to restore U.S. economic dominance and reduce the country’s $1 trillion annual trade deficit. However, a later announcement clarified that the actual tariffs start from April 9th.
Meanwhile, concerns are rising that stricter regulations could impact supply chains, particularly as the U.S. monitors production shifts from China to Thailand to prevent tariff evasion.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
