Bangkok (VNA) – The Thai National ShippersCouncil (TNSC) remains optimistic about Thailand’s export recovery this yeardespite the new wave of COVID-19 infections is expected to further affect theexport sector.
TNSC president Ghanyapad Tantipipatpong on January 5 saidthe council expects Thai exports will rebound to 3 – 4 percent in 2021, drivenby the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) pact, COVID-19 vaccineprogress and a fast economic recovery in China. The TNSC estimated Thai exportsplunged more than 7 percent last year.
She forecast a positive outlook for exports of food,medical supplies, rubber gloves, apparel, machinery, auto parts, oil, rice andwork-from-home products
The COVID-19 resurgence will have a slight impact on thecountry’s export this year, she said, adding that there is likely a shortage oflabourers in agriculture due to lockdowns in the provinces of Samut Sakhon,Chon Buri, Rayong Chanthaburi and Trat where fisheries and food processingindustries largely reply on foreign workers.
She pinpointed main points that will negatively affectThailand’s export sector this year, namely a shortage of containers and rise infreight rate; appreciation of the baht and a new wave of a more severe COVID-19outbreak in its key trade partners.
In order to deal with these problems, she said thegovernment should launch urgent measures to mitigate the outbreak’s impact onbusinesses, such as cutting fees and extending the period of soft loans forlocal producers.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, the country’s Novemberexport exceeded 18.9 billion USD, down 3.65 percent year on year, while importwas close to 18.9 billion USD, down 0.99 percent year on year.
Exports for the first 11 months of last year shrank 6.92percent year-on-year to 211.38 billion USD, while import declined 13.7 percentto nearly 188 billion USD, resulting in a 23.51 billion USD trade surplus./.
TNSC president Ghanyapad Tantipipatpong on January 5 saidthe council expects Thai exports will rebound to 3 – 4 percent in 2021, drivenby the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) pact, COVID-19 vaccineprogress and a fast economic recovery in China. The TNSC estimated Thai exportsplunged more than 7 percent last year.
She forecast a positive outlook for exports of food,medical supplies, rubber gloves, apparel, machinery, auto parts, oil, rice andwork-from-home products
The COVID-19 resurgence will have a slight impact on thecountry’s export this year, she said, adding that there is likely a shortage oflabourers in agriculture due to lockdowns in the provinces of Samut Sakhon,Chon Buri, Rayong Chanthaburi and Trat where fisheries and food processingindustries largely reply on foreign workers.
She pinpointed main points that will negatively affectThailand’s export sector this year, namely a shortage of containers and rise infreight rate; appreciation of the baht and a new wave of a more severe COVID-19outbreak in its key trade partners.
In order to deal with these problems, she said thegovernment should launch urgent measures to mitigate the outbreak’s impact onbusinesses, such as cutting fees and extending the period of soft loans forlocal producers.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, the country’s Novemberexport exceeded 18.9 billion USD, down 3.65 percent year on year, while importwas close to 18.9 billion USD, down 0.99 percent year on year.
Exports for the first 11 months of last year shrank 6.92percent year-on-year to 211.38 billion USD, while import declined 13.7 percentto nearly 188 billion USD, resulting in a 23.51 billion USD trade surplus./.
VNA
