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Washington has exerted influence on Thailand to reaffirm its dedication to a truce deal with Cambodia, indicating that trade negotiations could be halted as efforts are made to prevent a Trump-mediated ceasefire arrangement from falling apart.

Rising Border Hostilities

In recent days, Thailand declared it was suspending the truce agreement, alleging Cambodian forces of laying fresh landmines along the mutual frontier, including one that reportedly wounded a Thai military personnel on patrol, who suffered a foot amputation in the blast.

Following this, one person has been killed and several others wounded by gunfire along the border between the two nations, sparking fears of a new round of retaliatory clashes.

American Economic Leverage

On Saturday, a Thai foreign ministry spokesperson told journalists that a letter from the Office of the US Trade Representative declaring the suspension of trade deal talks was obtained on Friday night.

He quoted the document as stating that trade negotiations – which are addressing a US tariff of 19% – could restart once Thailand reaffirmed its commitment to carrying out the joint ceasefire declaration.

“Tariff negotiations will continue and remain separate from border issues,” stated a different official representative.

Trump’s Tariff Threat

Speaking to the press on Air Force One as he traveled to the Sunshine State on Friday, the US leader suggested that he had used the “threat of tariffs” in discussions with the ASEAN nation heads.

The US president said, “I stopped a war just today through the use of tariffs, the threat of tariffs,” continuing, “they are performing well. I believe they will be okay.”

Truce Deal Origins

Trump oversaw the signing of a peace deal, held in Malaysia this October, and has touted it as one of multiple agreements around the world he says should earn him the prestigious peace award.

The most severe clashes in a ten years between military forces of both nations erupted in mid-summer, with gunfire, artillery and airstrikes leaving dozens of people killed and 300,000 displaced.

Historic Frontier Conflict

The two neighboring countries have a historic territorial disagreement that originates from disagreements over colonial-era maps created by French cartographers. Ancient temples along the border are claimed by both sides.

Reuters provided input for this coverage.