BANGKOK (Xinhua): Thailand's exports expanded for the sixth straight month in January, thanks to a recovery in the electronics industry and rising agricultural shipments, official data showed on Friday.
Exports, a key driver of the South-East Asian country's economic growth, jumped 10 per cent last month from a year earlier to US$22.64 billion, the strongest pace in 19 months, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce.
Thailand's exports to primary markets expanded 10.5 per cent year on year in January, with growth in shipments to the United States, China, Japan, and the European Union.
A breakdown of the data revealed that exports of agricultural products increased 14 per cent from a year earlier last month owing to a 45.9 per cent growth in rice shipment value, while agro-industrial goods expanded 3.8 per cent.
Industrial product shipments rose 10.3 per cent year on year, due to a 32.2 per cent rise in computer, equipment and parts exports.
The data also indicated that Thailand's imports rose 2.6 per cent from a year earlier to US$25.40 billion in January, resulting in a trade deficit of US$2.75 billion.
The ministry maintains its export target of 1 percent to 2 percent expansion this year, driven by global economic recovery, easing global inflation, demand from several countries to ensure their food security and economic cooperation in robust regions. - Xinhua
