New export channels easing Thailand’s fruit glut crisis: TCC
The Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) says new trade channels opened with China have helped solve an oversupply crisis by lifting Thai fruit exports to 60 per cent of capacity.
The export boon comes despite China’s “zero-Covid” policy, which saw Beijing temporarily suspend imports of Thai durian last month after traces of the virus were found in a shipment.
The TCC thanked the Foreign Ministry for persuading China to open more trade channels and the Commerce Ministry for tapping new overseas export markets to prevent oversupply of Thai fruit.
“This has resulted in over 200 billion baht of fruit exports so far this year,” said TCC vice chairman Pratya Samalapa, who also chairs the chamber's committee on the eastern region, Thailand's "fruit basket".
He thanked the government for its efforts in tackling what he called the “fruit oversupply crisis”.
Along with agriculture, other economic sectors in eastern provinces seeing recovery include gems and jewellery manufacturing and tourism, Pratya added.
“We are confident that more foreign tourists will visit eastern provinces thanks to easing of travel arrangements, including the cancellation of the Thailand Pass next month,” he said.
The tourism revival would have a knock-on effect in other sectors and bring more jobs to the eastern region, he said.
Thailand’s cross-border and international border trade in April totalled 127.1 billion baht, down 10.8 per cent from the same period last year. China’s strict zero-Covid policy has been blamed for the drop.
