January-August 2001
First 8 months of 2001 (January-August) the Thai textile export and import has
been decreased approximately 5.23% compared to the corresponding period of the
previous years. The export value of Thai textile and garment during January-August
of this year is US$3,562.3 million, while the value at the same period of last
year was US$3,759.1 million. The textile products that decreased in this period
consist of garment, fabric, yarn, household textile, synthetic filament and
staple fibres. However, the textile products that increased in this period
consist of embroidery and lace, shawls, scarves, other made up articles, dress
patterns as
well as other textile products. When considering by item, we found that the
garment category in this year reduced from US$2,122 million to US$ 1,962 million
at the corresponding period, which declined from rank 3rd of last
year to rank 4th of the total export of Thailand, equals 7.5%. The
decreased in textile total export value has been affected from the economic
recession of the major trading partners. Considering form the export value of
garment from Thailand to United States in this period is US$1,081 million, while
the export value of the corresponding period of previous year was US$1,142
million, which reduced approximately 5.3%. Moreover, the export value of garment
from Thailand to EU reduced from US$479 million to US$410 million compare to the
corresponding period, equal to 14.5%.
The USA has still been
Thailand’s major market with highest value of US$ 1,351.6 million equals
37.94% of the entire Thai textile export. Others rank consist of Japan, United
Kingdom, Hong Kong, Germany and United Arab Emirates. Most of our export
products compose of ready-made garment, fabric, yarn, synthetic fiber and
household textile whereas our competitors in the major markets are the ASEAN
countries such as Singapore, Indonesia as well as China and South Korea.
On the other hand, import of
textile’s machinery in this period reduced slightly from US$296 million to
US$295.5 compare with the corresponding period of the previous year. It has
indicated that in this year the import value of textile’s machinery decreases
0.17%. Furthermore, the import value of raw material decreased such as fabric,
yarn and synthetic filament. However, the import value of ready-made
garment, nonwovens and
other textile products increased when compare with the last year.