8% clip seen for year-end export growth

Chantira Jimreivat Vivatrat, director general of the department, under the Commerce Ministry, said yesterday that export orders for the final three months of the year have continued to see strong growth, in line with rising global economic growth that is boosting demand for Thai products abroad.
In the first nine months of this year, exports came in at US$175.43 billion, up 9.3 per cent from the same period of last year. 
If the export value from October until the end of December averages US$19.06 billion a month, that would boost the value of shipments to US$232.61 billion and eclipse the record high of US$229.08 billion set in 2012, she said.
She said the department expects the country’s export growth to hit the estimation, given the strong demand from the global market, aided by the stronger expansion in the world economy. The department is conducting more activities to help drive the country’s export growth. They include inviting 169 foreign rice traders - from Hong Kong, Canada, the US, Europe, Africa, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, India and Asean – to an event involving Thai rice traders. The department targets sales of Bt586 million after the meeting, and expects continuing orders of up to Bt30 billion, Chantira said.
The department also will work with Thai agricultural and food exporters to present a roadshow of their products in the US this year.
 The department is also supporting the Thai animation sector of the film industry by supporting participation at an event in the US. Elsewhere, the department has conducted the CIBJO Congress 2017, in support of the country’s gems and jewellery sector.
“We believe that all of these activities will drive the country’s export this year to achieve the target,” Chantira said.
She said the department was in the process of estimating the country’s export goal for 2018, in discussions with its trade ambassadors and representatives of the private sector.
“Our export strategy in 2018 will focus on our trade partners, especially Asean, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia, the UK, Africa, and Iran. We also will expand our exports to new markets and also that suggest our private sector seek to maximise the benefits from the free trade agreement between Thailand and others countries,” she said.
The department will focus on service sectors such as tourism, hospitality and healthy, she added. Such efforts would help sustain export growth in 2018, Chantira said.