Suphajee Races to Close US Tariff Deal, to Meet Deputy USTR in the Philippines on September 19
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Suphajee Suthumpun, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, disclosed that tariff negotiations between Thailand and the United States have made considerable progress, with only minor details in the documents left to be discussed further. On September 19, 2026, she will travel to attend the ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting in the Philippines, and will use that occasion to hold talks with Rick Switzer, Deputy United States Trade Representative, or Deputy USTR, to finalize the details before paving the way for Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to hold direct talks with US President Donald Trump, for which no date has yet been scheduled. Suphajee stated that if the Prime Minister is to ask the United States to consider a special tariff rate for Thailand, the Prime Minister must handle the discussion himself, as it is a leader-level matter. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce is discussing additional economic stimulus measures in the form of a package from the economic ministries to cope with the situation in the fourth quarter of 2026, after extending the Thai Help Thai Plus measure for another two months.