Beef farmers across Thailand are planning a protest in front of the Ministry of Agriculture this Thursday, opposing a government proposal to lift the ban on importing beef and offal from the United States. The move, part of ongoing trade negotiations with Washington, comes after the US imposed a 36% reciprocal tariff on Thai goods exported to the American market.
The Beef Cattle Association of Thailand formally voiced its objection earlier this week, submitting a letter to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and other relevant ministers. The association argues that the removal of the ban would jeopardize the livelihoods of approximately 1.4 million Thai cattle-farming households.
Vice President of the association, Sitthiporn Boorananath, said local breeders are already under pressure due to existing free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand, which allow beef imports into Thailand. He added that permitting US beef imports could worsen the situation, particularly since American producers commonly use leanness-enhancing agents banned under Thai law.
Sitthiporn further criticized the government for allegedly sidelining small-scale farmers in policy discussions, stating that the administration has only consulted with larger breeders. He also pointed to the recent drop in cattle prices, noting that the price of live cattle has fallen to between 60 and 70 baht per kilogram, down from roughly 100 baht per kilogram. Similarly, offal prices have plunged from around 4,000 baht to just 1,800 baht per kilogram.
To manage the growing trade dispute with the United States, Prime Minister Paetongtarn has tasked Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira with leading a Thai delegation for negotiations in Washington. Ahead of the trip, the minister is scheduled to meet today with representatives from state-owned energy giant PTT to explore increasing imports of American energy as a potential way to ease the bilateral trade imbalance.
The Thai delegation is expected to depart for the United States tomorrow.