Thailand braces for Trump dumping TPP
Country needs to focus other bilateral and regional deals next year, officials say. Thailand should get ready to renegotiate the framework of the US-ASEAN free-trade agreement after US President-elect Donald Trump announced on November 22 that he would scrap the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal in his first 100 days in office, top government and private sector officials said. Thailand and the US should also negotiate a bilateral deal under Trade and Investment Framework Agreements in the first quarter of next year, they said. Thailand is due to host a meeting on trade and investment expansion and to tackle trade barriers between the two countries. Trump said on November 22 that he will tear up the TPP deal – initiated by outgoing President Barack Obama – as soon as he arrives at the White House in January. Nopporn Thepsithar, chairman to the Thai National Shippers Council, said this decision would offer advantages as well as disadvantages for Thailand.
