Commerce Ministry carries on boosting Thai exports

BANKGOK, July 26 (TNA) - The Ministry of Commerce says that it will continue implementing measures, with full efforts, to further boost Thai exports this year. Srirat Rastapana, Director-General of the ministry's Department of International Trade Promotion, made the pledge on Friday, acknowledging, however, that Thailand's export growth rate should stand at 6-6.5 per cent year-on-year on average this year, instead of 7.5 per cent year-on-year as earlier anticipated, caused by impacts of the global economic slowdown currently. Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary for Commerce Vatchari Vimooktayon told journalists on Friday that the total value of Thai exports in June 2013 stood at about 19.10 billion US dollars, a drop by 3.38 per cent year on year. Vatchari pointed out that the value of Thai exports to major markets declined by 8.4 per cent year-on-year in June, with the value in high potential markets, like China, even plunged by 16.7 per cent year-on-year. Besides, exports of Thai rice and natural rubber also declined, while the early mortality syndrome in Thai shrimps cut the local shrimp production by 40 per cent, resulting in produce in the Thai agricultural and agro-industrial sectors falling by 7.1 per cent year-on-year last month and the amount of frozen and processed shrimps plunging by 45.6 per cent year-on-year. Consequently, the total value of Thai exports during the first half of this year stood at about 113.3 billion US dollars, a slight year-on-year increase by 0.95 per cent. According to the senior official, Thailand posted a trade deficit of about 1.92 billion US dollars in June 2013 and 15.77 billion US dollars during the first half of this year, as Thailand’s imports totaled about 21.01 billion US dollars last month, a 3.01 per cent year-on-year increase and the value of imports during the first half of this year totaled about 129.08 billion, a 4.32 per cent year-on-year increase. (TNA)