BANGKOK, Aug 5 – The value of Thailand’s overall industrial exports in the first half of this year topped US$85 billion, a 19-per cent rise year-on-year, while the value of industrial goods– excluding gold– grew 20.4 per cent at US$81.6 billion, according to the Office of Industrial Economics (OIE).
OIE Director-General Suttinee Poopaka said Thailand’s export of industrial goods continues to expand despite risk factors from Japanese natural disasters and European public debts.
The proportion of industrial exports was 74 per cent of overall exports from January to June, compared to 78 per cent during the same period last year. Ms Suttinee said, however, that the value of Thailand’s exports increased despite a reduced volume, demonstrating the strength of the Thai industrial sector that can produce merchandise with higher value for higher-end customer demand.
The top ten Industrial goods with the highest export values this year were electronics at $16.5 billion, electric appliances at $11.5 billion, automobiles and spare parts at $8.7 billion, plastic resin at $4.4 billion, textiles and garments at $4.2 billion, chemical products at $4.13 billion, rubber products at $4 billion, jewellery and accessories–excluding gold bar–at $3.1 billion, machinery and spare parts at $2.7 billion, and printed materials at $2.6 billion.