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. Thailand’s trade surplus with the United States hit $51.4 billion in 2025. "If anything, negotiations are more likely to focus on enhancing cooperation," the spokesperson noted. The Thai government is currently pushing to cap the tariff rate at 19%, a threshold discussed under a previous agreement.