BANGKOK: The government vows to ramp up shipments of innovative and high-tech products and stimulate more strategic partnerships next year in a bid to boost exports to 3% growth in 2017. According to a Commerce Ministry source, Thai commercial counsellors and trade ministers from overseas offices who met yesterday have set an export target of 3% growth next year.
They are committed to stimulating export growth in key markets, such as 1% growth for Europe, 3% growth for East Asia including China, 2% increase for Hong Kong, a 3% increase for Taiwan, 1% growth for Japan and 2.9% growth for the US. They have set export growth of 3.3% for the Middle East, 2% for South Asia, 2.5% for Asean and 5% for Australia.
“The Commerce Ministry’s strategy for next year is to seek more strategic partnerships, more direct investment between Thailand and key trading partners and more aggressive export expansion into primary and secondary cities in key countries worldwide,” the source said.
“Trade and investment in innovative and high-tech products as well as services will be beefed up next year.” Deputy Commerce Minister Suvit Maesincee said full-year exports are highly likely to contract by about 2% this year thanks to the slower-than-expected global economic recovery as well as relatively low oil and farm prices.
