Thailand's official export growth target in 2019 maintained at 8%

BANGKOK, February 8 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Commerce, has maintained its official target for the country's export growth in 2019 at 8 per cent year-on-year despite remaining risk factors. Banjongjitt Angsusingh, Director General of the ministry's Department of International Trade Promotion, told journalists of the decision on February 7, saying that the projected figure of Thailand's export growth year-on-year in 2019 accounts for about 272.69 billion US dollars. Banjongjitt explained that her department has decided to maintain Thailand's export growth target at 8 per cent year-on-year in 2019 amid such major risk factors as impacts from the ongoing trade war between the United States and China, unstable foreign exchange rates and others because the targeted figure will become a milestone for all relevant parties to attempt to meet. The senior official acknowledged her department will, thus, call a meeting with major private bodies, including the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Thai National Shippers' Council (TNSC) late this month to discuss joint measures to boost Thai exports to major importing markets. According to the senior official, her department will seek cooperation from the private sector to stimulate Thailand's export growth in 2019 to China by 12 per cent year-on-year, to Hong Kong by 12 per cent year-on-year, to Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) by 10 per cent year-on-year, Japan by 7 per cent year-on-year, South Korea by 7 per cent year-on-year, other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by 8.3 per cent year-on-year, South Asia by 8 per cent year-on-year, Africa by 10 per cent year-on-year, North America by 6.1 per cent year-on-year, the European Union (EU) by 3 per cent year-on-year and the Middle East by 3 per cent year-on-year in order to achieve the country's export growth at 8 per cent year-on-year on average this year as targeted. Besides, her department will promote and support Thailand's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and community entrepreneurs to export more products to regional and global markets, including through the growing e-commerce system. (TNA)