Thailand to offer Trump no duties on 90% of US goods, adviser says

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Bangkok’s third proposal would potentially eliminate tariffs and non-tariff barriers on about 10,000 US products.

PHOTO: REUTERS

BANGKOK – Thailand is set to offer scrapping tariffs on 90 per cent of American goods, up from a previous plan for over 60 per cent, in a bid to avert a punishing levy threatened by US President Donald Trump, according to a business group advising Thai negotiators.

Bangkok’s third proposal would potentially eliminate tariffs

He added that he expects the final tariff on Thailand will be set in a range of 18 to 20 per cent, down from Mr Trump’s most recent threatened level of 36 per cent.

The new proposal, which will be presented to Washington in a conference call on July 17, could reduce Thailand’s US$46 billion (S$59 billion) trade surplus with the US by 70 per cent within three years and lead to balanced trade within five years, according to Mr Chanintr.

The new figures are even more ambitious than Thailand’s July 6 offer to cut tariffs on over 60 per cent of products and eliminate the trade gap in seven or eight years.

“I expect our proposal to be solid and practical. The numbers should be satisfactory to the US,” said Mr Chanintr, who has consulted with negotiators led by Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira over the past week to finalise details.

“What we’ll be offering is potentially more than Indonesia and Vietnam,” he