SONGKHLA, 11 June 2015 – A cross-border trade fair is now held at the International Convention Center, Prince of Songkla University, from 10-14 June 2015, to boost Thai-Malaysian trade and publicize the development of Songkhla Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
According to Advisor to the Minister of Commerce Ditthaporn Sasasmit, the trade fair is jointly organized by the Provincial Chamber of Commerce and the Malaysian counterpart to stimulate import-export revenues. It provides a stage for the government and private sectors of both sides to discuss further cooperation scheduled for 12th June.
Moreover, business matching among 150 entrepreneurs from Thailand and Malaysia would contribute to the growing trade revenue, the adviser believed. The business matching involves nine categories of highly competitive products and services such as retails and wholesales, restaurants, food and processed foods, home decorative products, construction, hospitality and tourism.
Hundreds of booths have been set up to sell OTOP SME products, export products, franchise and service businesses, intellectual property-based products, innovative handicrafts, Blue Flag products and agricultural machinery.
Thailand and Malaysia have run a joint border trade fairs for several years. In 2014, the event generated over THB507.6 billion, accounting for 51 per cent of the total cross-border trade revenue of Thailand with neighboring countries.
In the first four months of 2015, bilateral trade totalled THB154 billion, divided into THB81 billion worth of Thai exports, and THB73billion imports.
Thai exports to Malaysia include, among others, rubber and processed products, computers, processed woods, and automobile and parts. Meanwhile, Thailand imports industrial machinery, computer parts, computer’s magnetic tape and magnetic disk from Malaysia.
