Thailand
Thailand: Furniture exports set to rise 5%
Thai furniture exports are set to continue growing this year on strong demand from the US, Japan, Asean and the Middle East.
Deputy Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong said the ministry expects furniture exports to grow by 5% this year after a rise of 4.1% to UScopy.09 billion (38.4 billion baht) in 2016.
The strong export forecast has been attributed to the creative designs and high quality of Thai furniture.
Mr Sontirat said rising demand is anticipated in traditional markets such as the US, Japan, China, Australia and Britain as the global economy recovers.
Property development in Asean, notably in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, are also primed to blossom in line with the region’s economic growth.
Mr Sontirat said the possibility of US President Donald Trump’s protectionist trade policies is unlikely to negatively impact Thai furniture exports.
Instead, the growing US economy will be a boon to Thai furniture shipments, he said. “We believe Thailand will become the centre of furniture exports in Asean because of a variety of innovative, functional and high-quality products that live up to the varied lifestyles of customers,” said Mr Sontirat.
He said Thaitrade.com Sook, a business-to-consumer programme launched by the Commerce Ministry last year, will also help boost the purchase of Thai furniture.
Sook was established to serve demand from international buyers who want to make small purchase orders prior to committing to buying in bulk.
Sellers on Thaitrade.com Sook are handpicked and verified by the government to boost trust in the platform.
Customers can place orders on selected Sook items and make payments directly on Thaitrade.com.
Sook, which was developed through a partnership with Bangkok Bank, DHL Express International and PayPal, the leading international payment service provider, aims to help small and medium-sized Thai enterprises sell their products online. In a move to promote Thai furniture, the International Trade Promotion Department, in partnership with Thai Furniture Industry Club and Thai Furniture Industries Association, is scheduled to organise the Thailand International Furniture Fair 2017.
The event will be held from March 8-12 at Impact Muang Thong Thani.
Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/1211225/furniture-exports-set-to-rise-5-