Bid to boost exports in nine countries
The Commerce Ministry will open one-stop service centres in nine Asean countries to promote exports to those markets after it became more worried about slowdown in shipments to the financially strapped European Union.
“The Asean market is a priority for Thailand as it has shown strong growth in the past few years, with the move towards the Asean Economic Community. We will direct our penetration strategy to promote more growth in the region,” Nuntawan Sakuntanaga, director-general of the International Trade Promotion Department, said last week.
The one-stop centres will soon be set up in Thai Trade Centres to give advice to Thai exporters that want to expand to each Asean country.
The department also plans to hold 13 Thai trade fairs in eight Asean countries this year.
According to the department, Thai shipments to Asean grew sharply by 8.6 per cent in the first four months of this year, while overall exports fell by 3.9 per cent and exports to the EU plunged by 15.6 per cent.
Asean has increased from 23.7 per cent last year to 25.7 per cent of total Thai exports, while the EU dropped from 9.4 per cent to 8.6 per cent.
Exports would be promoted by product and market. For instance, brand-name ornaments, garments and fashionable goods would be targeted at Indonesia, which has a rising middle class and the strongest economy in Asean.
Organic farm products from the Royal Project, fresh fruits and vegetables, garments and ornaments would be the focus for Singapore, whose consumers are highly health conscious.
Consumer goods and foods would get the most attention for Myanmar, as demand for the products has boomed after the opening of the country. The department will also provide support and help to Thai companies to invest more in Myanmar through its One Stop Service Centre.
Businesses with high potential for Thai investment in the neighbouring country are electricity generation, farming, fishing, operating hospitals and producing cement.
In Cambodia, the department will concentrate on sending more products to commercial and tourism cities, mainly Battambang and Siem Reap.
It will also encourage more shipments and investment in other emerging markets such as China, India, Latin America and Africa, she added.
