NEW YORK, August 11. /TASS/. Thailand intends to leverage its defense cooperation with the United States to gain traction in upcoming bilateral trade negotiations, Bloomberg reported, citing an informed source.

Bangkok plans to warn the US administration that steep tariffs could compel the kingdom to scale back bilateral military cooperation, including its participation in the signature Cobra Gold military exercises. The Thai government intends to embed this warning into its counterproposal when reciprocal trade talks resume later this month, a government official said on condition of anonymity.

Thailand’s trade surplus with the United States hit $51.4 billion in 2025. The planned move marks a rare attempt by the kingdom to weaponize its decades-long security alliance with Washington to secure economic concessions, the report notes.

A Pentagon spokesperson stated that he could neither confirm nor verify the report. "If anything, negotiations are more likely to focus on enhancing cooperation," the spokesperson noted.

In July, Thai Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun emphasized that Thailand deserves more favorable market treatment owing to the strategic alliance between the two nations and substantial Thai investments in the US economy. The Thai government is currently pushing to cap the tariff rate at 19%, a threshold discussed under a previous agreement. To address Washington's core concerns, Bangkok has also pledged to speed up legislation banning the import of goods produced using forced labor.