Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce has approved budget of 67.5 million THB
(over 2.1 million USD) to help more than 500 small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) cope with export difficulties this year.
Exported products supported by the project include jewellery, food,
toys, farming equipment, gifts and souvenirs, handicrafts, household
utensil, herbal medicine, cosmetics, garments, air conditioners and
medical equipment.
The ministry’s International Trade
Promotion Department will also help the enterprises penetrate markets
in the US, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, East Asia and Southeast
Asia.
Last month, the Thai Government implemented a project
to support the country’s SMEs in their path of joining the ASEAN
Economic Community.
The enterprises were also assisted to
improve their competitiveness in world markets through their connections
and relations with foreign partners.
In the first six
months of this year, Thai SMEs’ export value reached almost 906 billion
THB (about 30 billion USD), mainly China, Japan, US, Indonesia and Hong
Kong (China).
Their key exports were jewellery , plastic products, rubber, and industrial machines.
In another move, Thailand and Laos recently agreed to raise two-way
trade from 145 billion THB (4.84 billion USD) to 250 billion THB (8.3
billion USD) by 2015.
Accordingly, Thailand will encourage
its investors to set up business facilities in Laos in order to develop
the country into a goods producer for exports to third countries.-VNA