In October 2002 the United States and Thailand signed a Trade and
Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA). On October 19, 2003, it was announced that the United States
and Thailand would deepen their bilateral economic ties further by negotiating a free trade agreement
under the Enterprise for ASEAN Initiative (EAI). The United States Trade Representative (USTR)
officially notified the US Congress of the President's intentions to negotiate a FTA with Thailand in a
letter dated 12 February 2004.
The first two rounds of FTA negotiations were held in Hawaii, in July and October 2004, respectively.
The third round was held in April 2005 in Pattaya, Thailand and the fourth in July 2005, in Great Falls,
Montana. The fifth round was held in Hawaii in September and October 2005 and the sixth round was held
in January 2006.
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