Today (14 March 2024), H.E. Mr. Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, welcomed and met with the Honorable Gina M. Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during her visit to Thailand from 12 – 15 March 2024. The U.S. Secretary of Commerce is accompanied by the U.S. President’s Export Council (PEC), comprising prominent top executives from leading businesses and organizations, appointed by the U.S. President to provide recommendations on policies and programs relating to U.S. trade and investment promotion.

During the bilateral meeting between the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and the U.S Secretary of Commerce, both sides discussed the key economic policies and priorities, as well as ways to enhance Thai-U.S. economic partnership and expand trade and investment opportunities, particularly through promoting U.S. investment in Thailand’s priority sectors vital to future economic growth, such as clean energy, electric vehicles (EVs), green economy, digital infrastructure, and semiconductor industries. Additionally, they discussed on opportunities to work together to foster greater regional connectivity, cooperation at the reigonal level through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), and the progress made in the negotiations, particularly the recent finalization of the draft agreements on Pillar 3 (Clean Economy) and 4 (Fair Economy) and next steps for implementation. They then prepared for the co-chairing of the IPEF Virtual Ministerial Meeting, subsequently held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the same day with other IPEF Ministers and high-level representatives.

In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and the U.S Secretary of Commerce also met with the PEC delegation, whose objectives for this visit were to gather information on Thailand’s trade and investment potentials to make recommendations to the U.S. President. Both sides discussed and exchanged views on economic opportunities and potentials, as well as government measures to promote investment in key sectors. They also emphasized the importance of cooperation in other areas, such as education and human resource development. On this occasion, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs arranged for meetings between the PEC delegation and M.L. Chayotid Kridakon, the President of Thai Trade Representative, the Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI), and the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB), at the Ministry to exchange views on investment opportunities and ways to concretize economic cooperation.

Later on the same day, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs joined the meeting between H.E. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and the U.S. Secretary of Commerce at the Government House.

This visit of the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to Thailand followed the official visit by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the U.S. in February 2024, during which he had a productive meeting with the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on 12 February 2024, in Washington, D.C.