AGTA leadership traveled to Bangkok for a rare private meeting with Dr. Kirida Bhaopichitr, Vice Minister for Commerce, and a large delegation of senior Royal Thai Government officials, pressing for a swift conclusion to the U.S. – Thailand Agreement on Reciprocal Trade.
The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) traveled to Bangkok, Thailand in September, to meet with senior officials of the Royal Thai Government regarding ongoing bilateral trade negotiations between the United States and Thailand. Thailand is a key sourcing and processing country for AGTA Members, and the U.S. jewelry industry and AGTA requested the meeting to address AGTA’s concerns about the status of negotiations.
At the 74th Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair held from September 8 thru 12, 2026, AGTA held numerous meetings with key members of Thailand’s gem and jewelry industry to discuss the negotiations and help inform the input they would provide to their government. AGTA also held separate meetings with Thai gem and jewelry industry leadership and Thai government officials, including Mrs. Nisabudh Virabutr, Director of the Lifestyle Trade Promotion Office within the Ministry of Commerce’s Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP).
On Monday, September 14, AGTA attended a private meeting at Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce with Dr. Kirida Bhaopichitr, Vice Minister for Commerce, who led a large delegation of senior Thai officials. This was a rare opportunity for a private discussion between AGTA and the Thai government.
AGTA opened the discussion by outlining our concerns about the status of U.S. – Thailand negotiations and the risks to the Thai gem and jewelry industry’s supply chain if an agreement was not reached in the very near future. AGTA then answered direct questions from Vice Minister Bhaopichitr and representatives of various Thai government departments. The discussion that followed was extremely productive and we have shared its details with the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
AGTA is extremely optimistic that a trade agreement between the United States and Thailand will become a reality sooner because of our meeting with the Royal Thai Government.
In a letter by Bruce Bridges, AGTA President, and John W. Ford, Sr., AGTA CEO, they expressed gratitude to Royal Thai Government for meeting with them and for its commitment to resolving the outstanding issues necessary to reach a final Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) with the United States. They also extended special thanks to the leadership of the Thai gem and jewelry industry, who partnered with AGTA to make this meeting possible.
The American Gem Trade Association is a not-for-profit Association serving the natural-colored gemstone and natural and cultured Pearl industry since 1981. The AGTA serves the industry as “The Authority in Color” and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
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