US expanding trade protectionist measures likely to have positive impacts on Thailand

BANGKOK, July 16 (TNA) - The Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO), under the Thai Ministry of Commerce, has assessed that the United States' trade protectionist measures, if expanded, should have some positive impacts on Thailand in terms of more exports of farm products to the US market. While voicing the assessment, TPSO Director-General Pimchanok Vonkorpon told journalists that the Ministry of Commerce will call a meeting with the private sector this week to jointly discuss and look into impacts on Thai exports from the anticipated US expanding trade protectionist measures. The ministry's move followed recent reports that Washington is considering to impose its stiff 10 per cent-import tariff on additional 6,000 items of products from China, worth more than 200 billion US dollars, in the coming months after opening public forums to listen to opinions from relevant domestic parties. According to the TPSO chief, Washington's trade protectionist measures, if finally expanded, may open more rooms for exports of some Thai farm products to the US market in lieu of those from China. "If so, Thailand's export growth this year could increase to 9 per cent year-on-year, from TPSO's earlier projection of 8 per cent year-on-year", said the TPSO chief. The TPSO chief suggested, however, that Thailand modify the production of goods and strategies to meet the changing global market demand, along with finding new markets for Thai exports. (TNA)