Thailand expects to export more rubber to China

BANGKOK, June 29 (TNA) - Thailand is persuading China to buy more Thai rubber, after China's Henan province imported Thai rubber worth over 5 billion US dollars in the first five months of this year. Thai Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Natthawut Saikua mentioned the rubber marketing approach after his meeting with visiting Director of the Henan Foreign Investment Consultation Service Center Song Guaxing in Bangkok on Thursday. Natthawut told journalists that both sides discussed trade and investment concerning agricultural products, acknowledging that Henan is a major market of Thai rubber in particular. Natthawut admitted that the ongoing debt crisis in Europe has affected exports and prices of Thai rubber but he foresaw the impacts should be contained and overseas industrialists’ orders for Thai rubber should then increase, noting that the Thai government has prepared measures to cope with the negative impacts. According to the deputy minister, the Thai government is also marketing Thai rubber with industrialists in India and the even the European Union (EU) in order to raise Thai rubber prices to assist local farmers. The deputy minister expressed his hope that overseas buyers, including those in Henan and other countries, will order more Thai rubber in the near future. (TNA)