The Thai National Shippers’ Council suggests establishing a war room to address the policies of US President Donald Trump to ensure Thailand can achieve its export growth target of 1-3% this year.
Council chairman Chaichan Charoensuk said the government urgently needs to convene a task force focused on new US trade policies as soon as Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan returns from the US.
Mr Chaichan said a cohesive strategy is needed that aligns both the public and private sectors, especially if the US announces trade measures against Thailand.
With limited time left to prepare, he stressed the importance of clarifying Thailand’s stance during upcoming negotiations.
Mr Chaichan suggested Thailand thoroughly analyse the implications of US trade policies on Canada and Mexico, as they were the first nations to face a major threat.
Both countries were given a one-month reprieve on Monday after their leaders reached agreements with Mr Trump to beef up border security and anti-drug enforcement.
A deadline for imposing 10% tariffs on China also passed without any official notice from Washington. While Mr Trump held out hope of reaching a compromise, Beijing has already responded with retaliatory measures.
To address potential impacts of US trade policy in the early stages, the shippers’ group on Tuesday outlined 14 strategic measures.
These include adopting a neutral stance on the US-China trade conflict, strengthening supply chains and logistics, enhancing competitiveness on costs and innovation, and expanding into emerging markets such as India and the Middle East.
Thai businesses are encouraged to fully leverage the benefits offered by existing free trade agreements with other countries.
Mr Chaichan said Thailand exceeded its export target in 2024, achieving a growth rate of 5.4%.
The Council has set an export growth goal of 1-3% for 2025, projecting the total value to reach $305 billion, while the Ministry of Commerce has a growth target of 2-3%.
Mr Chaichan said exports are projected to grow by 2-3% to $72.5 billion in the first quarter.
However, Mr Chaichan warned that Thai exports may start facing challenges in the second quarter if the trade war escalates, reflecting the policy directions announced by Mr Trump.
He said close public-private collaboration is necessary, urging holding Joint Public-Private Commerce Committee meetings monthly or quarterly.
He said government agencies must focus on international trade promotion, online product marketing and trade delegations.
Mr Chaichan also called for oversight of export production to meet destination standards and for the Transport Ministry to resolve congestion at Laem Chabang Port to enhance logistics efficiency.