Trump’s tariff hike has low impact on Thai bourse: Finance Minister

Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira confirmed on Friday that the impact of the US tariff hike on the Thai stock market has been relatively mild.

His remark came after global indices suffered a sharp decline in response to US President Donald Trump’s announcement of reciprocal tariffs on Wednesday.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) dropped to a low of 1,135 points and is currently hovering around 1,136 points, as investors reacted to the potential implications for the electronics sector.Pichai noted that Trump’s reciprocal tariff policy had affected global indices. However, he confirmed that the Thai stock market has fallen less than other countries that rely more heavily on exports to the US.

"Global stock indices have declined, but Thailand’s stock market, when compared with countries that have a greater export advantage to the US, remains within an understandable range,” he said.

He added that a slight decline in the Thai stock market indicates that investors have confidence in the government’s preparedness to manage the situation. If market conditions remain stable, the impact should be minimal, he said.

Pichai observed that global stocks have fallen to varying degrees, and their recovery will depend on how each government responds to the issue and restores investor confidence.

He acknowledged that if the Thai government had not prepared a response plan, the reciprocal tariff policy could have impacted the economy by at least 1%.

However, he assured that the government is addressing the situation proactively through discussions with both the public and private sectors.

Authorities have been instructed to assess their respective areas and reconvene as soon as possible, he added.

(2025/04/04-00:00)