Thailand Seeks to Mitigate Trump Tariff Impact, Touts Tech Hub Credentials to Seagate

Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan engages with global IT giant, highlighting Thailand's strategic importance in the tech supply chain

 

Thailand's Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan has held high-level talks with executives from Seagate, a leading global digital storage company, to discuss potential impacts from any future reciprocal tariffs imposed by the United States.

 

The meeting, which took place on April 30th, saw Pichai and Seagate's Vice President of Government Affairs, Cash McCracken, exchange views on the global economic landscape and explore strategies for navigating potential trade barriers.

 

Pichai expressed concerns regarding the potential for US tariffs to disrupt Thai exports and increase operational costs for multinational corporations operating within the country.

 

He urged Seagate to relay these concerns to relevant US authorities, emphasising the importance of maintaining a favourable trade and investment environment.
  



 

In return, Seagate executives provided valuable insights into negotiating with US agencies such as the USTR, the Department of Commerce, and the Treasury Department, offering practical guidance for Thailand’s negotiating team.

 

The Minister also used the meeting to underscore Thailand's strategic importance as a hub for advanced technology manufacturing, particularly in the production of hard disk drives (HDDs), a critical component for the global cloud and AI industries.

 

Seagate, which has significant production facilities in Nakhon Ratchasima and Samut Prakan provinces, employs tens of thousands of Thai workers.
  



 

Pichai highlighted Thailand's robust infrastructure, energy resources, and highly skilled workforce, making it an attractive destination for investments in data centres and AI-related industries.

 

He stressed the country's potential to drive the digital economy. 

 

Seagate executives reaffirmed their confidence in Thailand's regional HDD manufacturing capabilities, arguing that a trend of reshoring production back to the US may not reflect economic realities.

 

They cited Thailand's comprehensive industrial ecosystem, efficient supply chain, and skilled labour force as key factors supporting the sustainable growth of the advanced technology sector.

 

Seagate, established in 1979 and headquartered in Ireland, has maintained a significant presence in Thailand for over 35 years, solidifying its position as a crucial part of the company's global supply chain.

(2025/05/05-00:00)