Commerce

Dairy farmers have called on the new government to help solve an oversupply of raw milk as dairy product companies have shifted to use more milk powder since the outbreak of the tainted-milk scandal in China.

BANGKOK (AFP) - Thai electronics goods exports are likely to be stagnant next year due to a slowdown in orders caused by the global economic crisis, an industry body said Wednesday.

The continued implementation of the Thailand-India free trade area (FTA) bodes well for the country's exports, according to former commerce minister Narongchai Akarasaeni.

Vehicle sales in the first 11 months of 2008 amounted to 556,267 units, down 1.88 per cent from the same period last year, according to data compiled by Tri Petch Isuzu Sales.

Despite economic crisis, Ministry of Commerce’s Permanent Secretary Mr. Siripol Siripol Yodmuangcharoen (ศิริพล ยอดเมืองเจริญ) vowed to push Thai exports up five per cent in 2009, while private sector saw the situation on contradictory trend.

Thai manufacturers should produce higher quality products to penetrate the European Union (EU) market which has granted the kingdom its new generalised system of preferences (GSP), a senior Thai government official said Tuesday.

Mrs. Suchada Kaewmanee (สุชาดา แก้วมณี), chief of Office of Internal Trade in Phatthalung province stated today (December 14) that during this New Year Festival, stores have announced to reduce prices to welcome the festival.

Bangkok - With decreasing food exports in 2009, Thailand’s overall food exports will grow only 10 percent, according to the industry ministry.

Ongoing political turbulence in Thailand leading to the recent closure of two airports here by anti-government protesters in November, together with the global financial crisis, further depressed consumer sentiment in November as three vital indices dropped to their lowest in seven years, according to an academic.

The total sales of vehicles are expected to continue falling during the rest this year since there are more negative factors, particularly from the economic and political fronts, according to the Kasikorn Research Center.