Thai PM says US tariff negotiations postponed to review 'issues'

BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand's negotiations with Washington connected steep commercialized tariffs were postponed due to the fact that the United States has asked Bangkok to reappraisal important issues, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said connected Tuesday.

A caller gathering day was being scheduled, she said. The erstwhile day for talks was April 23.

Thailand is among the Southeast Asian nations hardest deed by U.S. President Donald Trump's measures, facing a 36% tariff if a simplification cannot beryllium negotiated earlier a planetary moratorium expires successful July.

"We're not excessively dilatory and we are reviewing issues, including our tariffs that whitethorn beryllium adjusted appropriately," Paetongtarn said, adding that Thai agriculture exports and further imports were being examined.

The United States was Thailand's largest export marketplace past year, accounting for 18.3% of full shipments, oregon $54.96 billion. Washington has enactment its shortage with Thailand astatine $45.6 billion.

"We are consulting academics and each parties and doing our champion successful this situation," she added.

"We are protecting the cultivation interests arsenic overmuch arsenic possible," she said, adding negotiations should beryllium mutually beneficial.

Thai atom exports fell 30% successful the archetypal 4th and could travel beneath full-year forecasts of 7.5 cardinal metric tons implicit the tariffs, according to atom the export association

Last year, Thailand shipped 9.94 cardinal tons of atom worthy 225.65 cardinal baht, with the U.S. being its third-largest marketplace by volume.

Thailand's Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira, who had been owed to articulation the talks successful Washington, said that contempt the postponement of U.S. negotiations, talks were inactive ongoing connected the moving level. He said helium had nary plans to question to the United States soon.

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Martin Petty)