United States Tariff on Thailand: Surcharge and Total Payment 2026

The United States tariff on Thailand at 12.5% is set as an additional rate with provided exemptions. The decision has already been made: the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) set the measure in an official notice, and United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) described it as a surcharge, so this one percentage does not determine the entire customs payment for a specific shipment. If you are doing business in Thailand, when checking the cost of a shipment, you need to separate this surcharge from other applicable payments, the former reciprocal rate, and expectations about a trade agreement. For the calculation, the origin and classification of goods, the timing of entry and the conditions of exemptions matter; the original documents alone do not confirm that the regime is unchanged as of the update date.

Current as of November 8, 2026

What is known

The decision to impose a 12.5% tariff on goods from Thailand is set out in an official notice from the United States Trade Representative. The document provides for exceptions in the annexes; this is an adopted decision, not just a proposal under discussion.

The original guidance from United States customs describes the rate as an additional duty. The surcharge and the total payment for a shipment are different amounts, so the percentage cannot be applied as a universal final rate.

An investigation into state policy on imports of goods made with forced labor does not mean that every Thai producer uses such labor. Checking an individual shipment and drawing conclusions about state policy are different questions.

United States Tariff on Thailand: Surcharge and Exemptions

An ad valorem duty is a percentage of the value of the goods, not a fixed amount. For goods of Thai origin in the guidance from United States Customs and Border Protection the item is listed 9903.05.77 with an additional 12.5% rate; exemptions are described by tariff line item 9903.05.85–9903.05.92.

The original application of the measure is tied to customs entry for consumption or withdrawal from a warehouse for consumption beginning 00:01 Eastern time in the United States on July 24, 2026. This is the point of customs entry, not the date the goods are dispatched.

The historical transit exemption required all of the following conditions to be met simultaneously:

• The goods were in transit on the last mode of transport before 00:01 Eastern time in the United States on July 24, 2026.
• The goods were entered for consumption or withdrawn from a warehouse for consumption before 00:01 Eastern time in the United States on July 28, 2026.

These deadlines relate to the original transition period. They do not provide an exemption for new November shipments.

An exemption from the surcharge does not cancel other applicable payments. The guidance preserves applicable antidumping, countervailing and other duties, taxes and fees; the basis for an exemption must be checked for each specific product.

Why the previous 19% cannot be added automatically

The historical fact sheet from the United States Trade Representative provided for a reciprocal rate of 19% and a definition of certain goods eligible for a zero reciprocal rate. A joint statement from the White House linked these 19% to Executive Order 14257 of April 2, 2025, as subsequently amended.

A subsequent White House executive order provides for the termination of the listed tariff measures under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), including the measures under Executive Order 14257. Their collection must cease “as soon as practicable” — this is not a single termination date for every shipment.

Put simply, these percentages describe different legal measures. Mechanically adding 19% and 12.5% does not give a sound calculation, but nor can one conclude from the order that all United States duties have been canceled: it expressly preserves other duties, including measures under Sections 232 and 301.

Separate investigation into excess capacity

A legal review by Tilleke & Gibbins describes a separate Section 301 investigation into structural excess production capacity in Thailand. According to the review, it may lead to additional duties; this is not confirmation of measures already imposed or of the current stage of the process.

Its timeline must not be confused with the forced labor investigations. The United States Trade Representative announced the launch of the latter, covering 60 economies, on March 12, 2026; the deadline for comments for guaranteed consideration was April 15, 2026.

That historical deadline has already passed. It does not set an end date for the excess capacity investigation and does not mean that comments are being invited now.

What to do

The United States tariff on Thailand is not reducible to the percentage in the headline. To check the calculation for a specific shipment, it is useful to verify the following in turn:

• Origin of the goods. Compare it with the scope of the measure; related article — checking the origin of export goods · RU.
• Tariff classification. You need the code for the specific product, not just the name of the industry.
• Timing of customs entry. Distinguish between shipment, entry for consumption and withdrawal from a warehouse for consumption.
• Basis for the exemption. Compare the product’s code and conditions with the applicable version of official documents.
• Other payments. Separately check any other applicable duties, taxes and fees.

This is a checklist for verifying a calculation, not a new mandatory procedure. If the classification or the basis for an exemption is unclear, consult a customs specialist before finalizing the shipment’s cost.

General questions about running a business are covered in the section work and business in Thailand. Tariff terms can change. Before processing a shipment, check the current official United States documents.