Trump's trade war with China begins while Thailand lobbies for chip investments.

Reuters, Bangkok, February 6 In light of U.S. President Donald Trump's renewed trade battle with China, Thailand hopes to have a preliminary draft of a strategy plan for its semiconductor industry ready within the next ninety days in order to draw in new investment.The secretary-general of the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), Narit Therdsteerasukdi, told Reuters that the nation's national semiconductor board will be working with a consultancy to create an industry roadmap.In an effort to attract semiconductor investments to Thailand, Narit, who answers to the prime, is also organizing roadshows to the US and Japan. As China and the United States vie for technological dominance, the global semiconductor sector has been in turmoil in recent years. Southeast Asia is already home to certain supply networks, and further unrest is anticipated during Trump's second term.

In an effort to improve the U.S. trade balance, he announced a 10% duty on Chinese imports over the weekend.He declared a 10% duty on Chinese goods over the weekend as part of a larger strategy to strengthen the U.S. trade balance.Last year, the value of inbound investment applications in Thailand, the second-largest economy in Southeast Asia after Indonesia, increased by 35% to a 10-year high of 1.14 trillion baht ($33.5 billion). "I expect the value of total applications (this year) to be more than last year's figure, driven by investment in the electronics and digital sectors," Narit stated. According to a 2024 research by consulting firm A.T. Kearney, Thailand comes in second place to India in a list of the leading growing economies for semiconductor manufacturing.