Commerce Ministry sees exports growing14-15% in 2010

17 Jan, 2010
(TNA)

BANGKOK-- Thailand’s exports this year are expected to grow 14-15 per cent, enabling the country to earn more than US$170 billion, said Commerce Minister Pornthiva Nakasai.

Casting her optimism that Thailand’s exports would improve in 2010 due to recovering global economy, Mrs. Pornthiva said her ministry has prepared strategic plans for both domestic and overseas trade and is confident that exports would rise 14-15 per cent while the gross domestic product (GDP) would grow 4 per cent, compared to growth projections of between 3-3.5 per cent by several other institutions.

She said inflation is expected at some 3-3.5 per cent in 2010.

The Ministry of Commerce said Thailand is aggressively penetrate markets in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) came into force January 1 as the grouping is a key market for Thailand’s exports, said Mrs. Pornthiva.
She expects that Thai exports to ASEAN “growing at least 20 per cent with revenue of over Bt1.1 trillion” in 2010.

The Ministry’s Foreign Trade Department also plans to hold exhibitions of goods produced by Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Myanmar, she added.

Thailand along with Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam are ASEAN members. (TNA)