Thailand agrees to ramp up U.S. corn imports and cut tariff to zero, official says

BANGKOK, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Thailand's cabinet on Tuesday agreed to ramp up the amount of corn it imports from the United States and cut the tariff to zero, part of the southeast Asian country's ongoing trade negotiations with Washington, an official said.

Thailand will import 1 million metric tons of zero-tariff corn from the United States between February and June 2026, government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat told a briefing, up from a previous annual quota of 54,700 tonnes at a tariff of 20%.

Thailand consumes about 9 million metric tonnes of corn annually, importing 4 to 5 million tonnes, according to government data.

"These measures were part of negotiations with the United States, but the government will minimise the impact on farmers," Siripong said.

Importers will have to buy three parts of local corn for every part imported, he said, adding that the short import window is designed to avoid putting pressure on domestic prices.

The cabinet also approved soybean meal imports for 2026 to 2028 from 11 importers, with a tariff set at 2%, he said.