BANGKOK, 28 July 2014 – The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Ministry of Commerce, has reported an increase of 3.9 percent in exports in June 2014, with a total value of 19.8 billion US dollars.
According to DITP Director-General Nantawan Sakuntanak, Thailand’s exports in June were worth 19.8 billion dollars, rising 3.9 percent from the same month of last year and representing the highest increase in 17 months. Imports were valued at 18 billion dollars, a drop of 14 percent, allowing the country to enjoy a trade surplus of 1.8 billion dollars.
The improvement is believed to have resulted from a jump of 2.6 percent in agricultural exports and 3.9 percent in industrial exports during the month.
Over the first six months of 2014, the export value accumulated to 112.7 billion dollars, decreasing 0.35 percent, while the value of imports also decreased 14 percent to stand at 112.47 billion dollars. Thailand, therefore, had a six-month trade surplus of 237 million dollars.
The Ministry of Commerce has estimated that the annual export growth will be able to reach 3.5 percent, on a condition that the country secures an export earning of at least 20.6 billion dollars every month from now until year’s end.