| Exports in first semester contract by 23.5% |
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EXPORTS in the first half of 2009 contracted by 23.5 percent, compared with the same period last year, the Ministry of Commerce said. Also, for the eighth consecutive month since November, exports in June, worth US$12.3 billion, also dropped, by 25.9 percent compared with the same month last year. The drop represented a deepening of the overall trend, according to Commerce Permanent Secretary Siripol Yodmuangcharoen. Exports of agricultural commodities, including rice, tapioca and seafood, fell as did industrial goods. Imports in June, worth $11.4 billion, likewise fell 29.3 percent and imports in the first half of this year shrank 35.4 per cent. Imported goods that dropped included fuel, raw materials and consumer goods. ------------ The leading think tank said exports are expected to shrink by around 6-14 percent in the second semester. For the whole year, exports are likely to contract 14.5-19 percent, it added. Thailand’s trade surplus in June stood at $936.6 million and its trade surplus in the first six months at $10.991 billion. Exports in the second half of this year are expected to improve, said Mr. Siripol. The Department of Export Promotion (DEP), as well as trade representative offices in foreign countries and the private sector, are gearing up to maintain major markets and also to find new markets for Thai goods, he added. The overall picture of Thai exports next year is likely to grow by 12-15 percent, supported by the recovery of the world economy and implementation of the government’s stimulus packages, the permanent secretary said. Thai exports, particularly electric and electronic goods, are expected to improve in the second half of this year as more orders have been received. The department has been working to implement several projects which are expected to help the country see export growth in 2010, DEP director general Rachane Potjanasuntorn said. — TNA |
