Thailand's exports to China targeted to triple within decade

BANGKOK, December 20 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Commerce has set a target to triple the country's exports to the immense Chinese market by 2027. Pimchanok Vonkorpon, Director-General of the ministry's Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO), told journalists of the official target on December 19, saying that Thailand's fresh targeted exports to China, set by her office, is about 100 billion US dollars by 2027, an over threefold-increase from about 29.5 billion US dollars in 2017. Pimchanok stated that the newly-set target followed her office's recent survey on the prospect of Thai exports to 10 specially-targeted Chinese provinces, as assigned by Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who oversees economic affairs. According to the TPSO chief, the 10 targeted Chinese provinces include Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Shandong, Zhejiang, Beijing, Henan, Tianjin, Fujian and Sichuan, all of which are major importing areas of the immense Chinese economy at up to about 84.2 per cent of China's total import yearly, with most of their imported goods, or about 91.3 per cent, shipped from Thailand. The TPSO chief revealed that the newly-targeted Thai exports to China over the next decade will particularly focus on 3 out of the 10 provinces, which are considered having the most potential, including Guangdong, Shanghai and Shandong with the targeted figures of Thai exports at about 31.3-33.0 billion US dollars, 30.6-31.5 billion US dollars and 15.4-16.5 billion US dollars respectively. The TPSO chief suggested that potential Thai exports to the Chinese targeted areas include rice, frozen chicken, tapioca and other food products, as well as rubber products. (TNA)