Thailand to Strengthen Scrutiny of Country of Origin for Exports to the U.S.

Thailand's Department of Foreign Trade (DFT) has announced it will tighten oversight of the country of origin for goods exported to the United States, following the imposition of a 36% retaliatory tariff by the U.S.

Arada Fuangtong, Director-General of the DFT under the Ministry of Commerce, stated that the department will intensify monitoring efforts to prevent third-country circumvention of U.S. tariffs. The move is aimed at reinforcing U.S. Customs' confidence in the authenticity of Thai-origin goods and ensuring that exports from Thailand are genuinely domestically produced.

The DFT has identified 49 high-risk product categories—including solar panels, steel wheels for trucks, engineered stone surfaces, and steel pipes—for enhanced surveillance. Exporters of these products must now apply for origin verification before they are eligible to request a Certificate of Origin (COO). This pre-check is designed to screen out goods transshipped through Thailand in an attempt to evade U.S. trade measures.

The department is also planning to expand the watchlist, with close monitoring of other potentially high-risk items that may be used to bypass U.S. anti-dumping duties or trade restrictions under Sections 301 and 232.

Moving forward, the DFT will continue assessing and updating its list of scrutinized products and will maintain close coordination with U.S. Customs authorities to prevent fraudulent claims of Thai origin.