Permanent Secretary for Commerce Siripol Yodmuangcharoen revealed yesterday that exports in March reached a record high of $14.76 billion, up 14.4 per cent, or Baht (Bt) 477.34 billion, up 4.2 per cent.
Exports in the first three months of this year totalled $41.7 billion, up 20.8 per cent, or Bt 1.37 trillion, up 11.4 per cent.
Imports in March totalled $14. 6 billion, up 32.68 per cent, or 476.99 billion in terms of Baht, and for the first quarter totalled $42.89 billion, up 38 per cent.
It resulted in a trade surplus of $159.9 million in March.
However, the country's trade balance in the first three months of this year remained in deficit of $1.18 billion against a surplus of $3.45 billion in the same period last year because the balances in January and February were in deficit by $653 million and $689 million respectively.
He said the export value of most farm and agro-industry products, including rice, natural rubber, cassava, canned and frozen seafood, frozen vegetables and fruit, and frozen chicken, had increased.
In addition, the value of key industrial products, including vehicles and automotive parts, plastics and pellets, gems and ornaments, and printing and paper, had increased by more than 15 per cent.
Siripol said the ministry was confident that the exports for the whole year would grow at least 12.5 per cent to $170 billion as targeted despite the stronger Baht since it had adjusted the export strategy and located new markets.
