Thailand: A 36% Rate Across Key Export Categories
Thailand was assigned a 36% IEEPA reciprocal tariff rate when the executive order took effect on April 5, 2025. That rate applied to the full range of Thai goods entering the United States throughout the IEEPA period — from electronics and hard drives to frozen shrimp and auto parts.
For U.S. importers, 36 cents on every dollar of Thai goods was assessed as IEEPA duties. With the Supreme Court’s February 2026 ruling, all of that is now potentially refundable through CBP’s CAPE portal.
Why Thailand Was Hit Hard
Thailand runs a significant goods trade surplus with the United States. Major export categories include:
- Electronics and hard disk drives: Thailand is one of the world’s largest producers of hard disk drives. Western Digital, Seagate, and their Thai supply chain partners produce components that feed into U.S. data centers and consumer electronics.
- Auto parts: Thailand is Southeast Asia’s largest auto manufacturing hub. Thai-produced components — transmissions, engines, electrical parts — flow into U.S. assembly plants and aftermarket channels.
- Processed food and seafood: Shrimp, tuna, and processed agricultural products from Thailand are staples in U.S. grocery supply chains.
- Rubber goods: Natural rubber and rubber products are a major Thai export, including industrial rubber and components used in manufacturing.
- Jewelry: Thailand is a global center for gemstone cutting and jewelry manufacturing.
Key Product Categories
Hard Disk Drives and Storage Components (Chapter 84): Thailand produces a large share of the world’s hard disk drive output. Companies relying on Thai HDD supply chains bore the full 36% IEEPA rate on these imports.
Auto Parts (Chapter 87): Transmissions, engine components, and electrical parts manufactured in Thailand and imported by U.S. automakers and aftermarket distributors were subject to the 36% rate.
Seafood and Processed Food (Chapters 3, 16): Frozen shrimp, canned tuna, and other processed Thai food products carry significant import volume. The 36% rate hit food importers and distributors hard.
Jewelry (Chapter 71): Sterling silver jewelry, gemstone settings, and finished pieces produced in Thailand and imported by U.S. retailers.
No FTA Complications
The United States does not have a free trade agreement with Thailand. Unlike imports from Canada, Mexico, or South Korea, there are no FTA exemption categories to untangle. Thai-origin goods that entered the U.S. between April 5, 2025 and February 20, 2026 with IEEPA duties assessed are cleanly eligible for CAPE refund consideration.
This makes Thailand-origin CAPE filings relatively straightforward from an eligibility classification standpoint, assuming the importer of record can identify IEEPA HTS codes (9903.01.xx) on the relevant entry summaries.
Estimating Your Thailand Refund
For a business that imported $500,000 in Thai goods during the IEEPA window:
- Estimated duty refund: $180,000 (36% × $500,000)
- Estimated interest (~5%): $9,000
- Estimated total: $189,000
Use the calculator above to enter your actual import value and get a personalized estimate.