BANGKOK: Thailand April exports grew 0.9 pct, post eight consecutive years of decline. However, the surge was partly restricted due to contraction in gold exports during the month of February. The outlook for export growth, pose downside risks to itself.
Going by the trend in imports of intermediate goods, which have continued to be weak, the bounce in exports seen in 1Q16 is likely to be a one-off. The outlook on export growth is crucial for GDP growth momentum ahead. Since the bulk of manufacturing output is meant to be exported, it is therefore important to keep a close eye on export growth, DBS reported. A downtrend is prevalent across all subsectors, including the key automotive and electronics cluster, which together make up 40 pct of total exports.
