There are reports circulating Thailand that PhRMA is lobbying Washington to take tough action against the country, The Bangkok Post reports.

Puangrat Asavapisit, the Intellectual Property Department’s director-general, says she was informed the trade group met last week in Singapore and that the action would involve the US Trade Representative downgrading Thailand from the current Priority Watch list to Priority Foreign Country, the last and most severe US copyright protection category and subject to trade sanctions. The USTR reviews the status of IP protection for its trading partners every year and classifies problem countries in four categories: Monitoring, Watch, Priority Watch and Priority Foreign Country.

Puangrat says the threat came amid recent news that the outgoing military-appointed government would proceed with the implementation of more compulsory licensing for cancer drugs.”We hope that the new government handles this issue carefully, as PhRMA is the most influential organisation in US politics, and on top of that the US economy is now in poor condition,” said Mrs Puangrat.

However, Puangrat tells the Post she was afraid that the USTR would pressure Congress over the next six months to eliminate trade preferences that currently allow some Thai imports duty-free access to the US. In a bid to prevent adverse effects, the department is preparing to clarify the country’s position to the USTR before the proposed deadline on Feb 15. Thailand was placed on the US Trade Rep’s Priority Watch list in April.