BANGKOK, March 1 – Thailand’s export business index in January expanded marginally at less than one per cent at 0.93, compared to the index in December 2011 and despite the 16.9-per cent growth of exports overall in January, according to the Thai National Shippers’ Council.
Council chairman Paiboon Ponsuwanna said the figure demonstrated that export expansion was still low.
He added that imports increased in gold, capital goods, machinery, and other factors for production.
According to Mr Paiboon, only 18 industries had a higher expansion ratio of their export values– steel, furniture, chemicals, construction materials, motor vehicles, kitchenware, and chicken meat.
Seven industries saw a reduction in their exports –frozen processed prawns, rubber products, petroleum, sugar, electric appliances, jewellery and accessories, and paper.
Factors affecting positive Thai exports were signs of economic recovery from the European Union, economic revitalisation measures from Thailand’s main trading partners, while factors impacting lower exports were the direction of Thai baht currency exchange and Thailand’s monetary policy, which was still unclear.
Meanwhile, the Thai National Shippers’ Council’s president added the industrial and production sector takes up the highest percentage of 36 per cent of the country’s overall energy usage.
He urged the government to have policies and prevention measures to sustainably deal with energy shortage, provide continuous energy security, monitor and control energy costs appropriately, have measures to support energy savings, and practically promote the use of renewable energy. (MCOT online news)
