PM orders three ministries to coordinate with ASEAN for US trade talks

PM Paetongtarn tasks 3 ministries to work with ASEAN on unified US trade talks to prevent tariffs and boost regional economic stability.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Tuesday instructed three key ministries to coordinate with other ASEAN nations to initiate trade talks with the United States, aiming to avert punitive tariffs.

She directed the Foreign Ministry, Commerce Ministry, and Finance Ministry, along with the special committee on US trade policy, to gather input from all sectors and draft proposals to form the basis of ASEAN’s collective trade strategy in negotiations with the US.

The directive was issued during a mobile Cabinet meeting chaired by the prime minister in Nakhon Phanom.

Aiming for ASEAN Economic Stability

Paetongtarn urged her Cabinet to devise measures to enhance ASEAN's economic stability, amid rising global trade tensions triggered by US policies imposing import barriers on countries with significant trade surpluses.
 

She informed the Cabinet that she had discussed the matter with the prime ministers of Malaysia and Cambodia, and all parties agreed that ASEAN member states should join forces in trade negotiations with the US.

ASEAN to Present a Unified Trade Front

Government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub quoted Paetongtarn as saying that any outcome from the talks would be considered a collective agreement representing all ASEAN member states.She also expressed confidence that, by leveraging the individual strengths of each ASEAN country, the bloc would be able to engage in successful and effective negotiations with the United States.

(2025/04/29-00:00)