Thailand is in the final stages of negotiating a reciprocal trade agreement (ART) with the US, aiming to lock in a 19% tariff rate before the US pursues Section 301 investigations that could impose higher duties. Officials are pushing to finalize technical details at the negotiator level before leader-level talks, while simultaneously managing a Section 301 inquiry into forced labor and excess production capacity. Success is critical for Thai exporters and manufacturers reliant on US market access.