Exports in May grew by 13.2 per cent, the highest increase in 52 months, with a value of US$19.94 billion, according to Pimchanok Vonkorpon, director-general of the ministry’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office.

She said that thanks to a global economic recovery, growth had picked up in every major market for Thai products and in every product category.

Agricultural and agro-industrial products, such as natural rubber, sugar, vegetables and fruit, and chicken meat, are doing particularly well.

In industrial category, export growth has been recorded for three months in a row, especially rubber products, automobiles and parts, electrical circuits, and computers and parts, reflecting exporters’ competitiveness and ability to keep up with ever-changing world markets.

Also in May, imports were worth $19 billion, an increase of 18.2 per cent.

This resulted in a trade surplus of $944 million. For the first five months of this year, exports were valued at $93.26 billion and imports at $88.21 billion, allowing the country to enjoy a net surplus of $5.05 billion.

Regarding the trend to export growth this year, Pimchanok cited the recovery of global economies as the main factor pushing Thai exports to do better than last year, with the annual growth rate estimated at 5 per cent.