22 Jan 2021
Trading
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to persist worldwide, including in Thailand. In spite of this, hopes for COVID-19 vaccines, lesser stringent lockdown measures than the previous round of the pandemic and economic stimulus measures introduced by many countries helped support Thai exports in December 2020 to grow for the first time in eight months at 4.71 percent, against the contraction of 3.65 percent reported for November 2020. Excluding oil, gold and arms, Thai shipment grew 5.81 percent in December 2020, suggesting That Thailand’s outward trade has begun to improve. Details are as follows... Read more
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23 Dec 2020
Thailand’s outward trade exhibited improving signs in November 2021 despite soaring COVID-19 infections in the US and Europe. November shipments shrank only 3.65 percent YoY, against the 6.71 percent YoY contraction reported for October 2020. Excluding oil-related products, gold and arms, November exports contracted only 2.09 percent YoY. ... Read more
24 Aug 2020
Thailand’s outward trade was USD18,819 million, shrinking 11.4 percent YoY in July 2020. Excluding oil, gold and arms shipments, Thai exports, however, contracted 13.0 percent YoY. Gold exports reverted to growth of 37.2 percent YoY in July in line with global gold prices, while industrial product and oil-related shipments continued to shrink, in particular automobiles, airconditioners, plastic pellets, chemical and refined petroleum products in alignment with global economic conditions and sluggish consumption abroad. Thai exports that continued to grow from the previous month include canned tuna, pet foods, rubber gloves, chilled/frozen chicken, semiconductors, transistors and diodes. As a result, Thai shipments during 7M20 shrank 7.7 percent YoY.... Read more
22 May 2020
The value of Thai exports for April 2020 stood at USD 18,948.2 million, with continuous expansion for the second consecutive month at a rate of 2.12 percent YoY – contrary to analysts’ earlier projection of a 4.6 percent contraction. The fact that many of Thailand’s trade partners have enforced lockdown measures is likely to present an obstacle to Thai exports in April 2020, with expansion in the latter month influenced by the following four temporary factors... Read more
22 Jan 2020
The total value of Thai exports came in at USD246,244.5 million, shrinking 2.65 percent YoY in 2019 while the total import value reached USD236,639.9 million, contracting 4.66 percent YoY. As a result, Thailand enjoyed a trade surplus for the fifth consecutive year of USD9,604.6 million.... Read more
23 Dec 2019
Thai exports in November 2019 totaled USD19.657 billion, dropping below USD20 billion for the first time in seven months and plunging for four consecutive months by 7.4 percent YoY, which marks the worst contraction in 43 months. Consequently, Thai exports in the first 11 months (Jan-Nov) of 2019 shrank by 2.8 percent YoY. Thai consignments in November 2019 fell virtually in every major market, reflecting the poor economic performance of Thailand’s major trading partners. There is an exception, though.... Read more
21 Aug 2019
Surging gold exports for the second consecutive month helped Thai shipments overall to resume growth for the first time in five months in July 2019. The value of July shipments came in at USD21,205 million, increasing 4.28 percent YoY, driven partly by skyrocketing gold exports for the second consecutive month at 406.92 percent YoY as investors globally increased their holdings of gold, which is considered as a safe haven asset after the global economy experienced heightened risks stemming from the US-Iran geopolitical conflict and unresolved US-China trade dispute. Excluding gold exports, Thailand’s outward trade overall contracted 0.4 percent YoY in July 2019, led by shipments to ASEAN (9) and the EU while exports to major key trade partners, such as Japan, China and the US, reverted to high growth.... Read more
22 Jul 2019
Skyrocketing gold exports supported Thai shipments to shrink at a slower pace in June 2019. Thailand’s June outward trade reached USD21,409.3 million, representing a contraction for the fourth consecutive month at 2.15 percent YoY. The shrinkage, however, was slower than those reported during the preceding three months due partly to the 317.4 percent YoY surge in gold exports. Excluding gold shipments, Thai exports overall contracted 8.7 percent YoY, led largely by major export categories to all key markets.... Read more
22 May 2019
Slowing global economy pressures Thai exports in April 2019 to contract for a second consecutive month. The outbound shipment of Thai goods in April 2019 totaled USD18,555.6 million, declining 2.57 percent YoY. Consequently, Thai exports in the first four months of 2019 dropped 1.86 percent YoY, a further decline from the first quarter. The contraction is attributed to slowing economic growth of key trading partners especially China and the European Union. Moreover, high base effect, due to front loading of electronic products and a sharp increase in prices of rice and tapioca in the world market in April 2018 have contributed to the lackluster export performance.... Read more
22 Feb 2019
The slowing global economy, impacts of the US tariff hikes on Chinese imports, a cyclical downturn in electronic products, low global crude oil prices and the high base of 2018 all pressured Thai exports to shrink for the third consecutive month at 5.65 percent YoY in January 2019. Shipments of other Asian countries, including Singapore, Japan and South Korea, also reported sharp contractions during this period.... Read more
21 Nov 2018
Thai exports in the first 10 months expanded 8.2 percent YoY, driven by favorable expansion of auto products and parts and equipment, in line with steady global economic recovery. In addition, petroleum-related products rose due partly to higher crude oil prices in 2018 when compared to the levels in 2017. Moreover, the surge is a result of an acceleration of Thai exports to China for manufacturing and exporting to the US before the enforcement of US punitive tariffs against Chinese goods. KResearch views that, typically, Thai exports in October and November are high during the year-end season including Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year’s holidays. Therefore, an average monthly value of Thai exports in the remaining two months of 2018 should rise close to or be slightly higher than October’s figure of USD21,735 million, possibly pushing the Thai export value for the whole of 2018 to nearly 8.0 percent.... Read more
21 Sep 2018
The value of Thailand’s outward trade reached THB22.794 billion for August, representing a new record high. However, the August export growth grew at a slower pace at 6.7 percent YoY, due partly to a high 2017 base and 66.6 percent contraction in gold shipments. If the value of gold exports was excluded, our August shipments grew 10.3 percent YoY. Factors contributing to favorable export growth over the past 18 straight months include the upturn in global crude oil prices. In August, global crude oil prices were substantially higher than August 2017. In addition, Thai car, accessories and auto-parts shipments to Vietnam reverted to high growth. Our agricultural exports also improved, including rice and cassava products, because their shipment volume contracted less. ... Read more
22 Aug 2018
Thai outbound shipments to the US and China, however, slowed in July 2018 amid an ongoing trade war between the US and China. The value of Thai exports to the US contracted for the first time in 21 months at 1.9 percent YoY due to a decline in exports of machinery, electronic parts, instant noodles and ready-to-eat food. Thai exports to China grew at a slower pace to 3.6 percent YoY due to a drop in shipments of agricultural/agro-industrial products, timber products and passenger cars.... Read more
20 Jul 2018
Overall, Thai outbound shipments in 1H18 rose 11.0 percent over year. The growth is attributed mainly to the sustained momentum of economic recovery and the cyclical uptrend of electronic products, which are also expected to drive Thai exports in 2H18. The expansion rate in 2H18 however is expected to proceed at a slower rate at 6.8 percent or an average monthly export value of USD21.939 billion. The deceleration is attributable to the higher base last year, coupled with the fact that prices of many commodities are likely to stay at similar levels to those registered in the same period last year.... Read more