Thailand expects to remain key textile exporter

BANGKOK, July 4 (TNA) - Thailand is expected to remain global number one textile exporter after the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is implemented in 2015, said Banpot Tekacharin, director of Department of Industrial Promotion’s Textile Industry Division. Presently, Thailand and Indonesia are competing to become the world’s champion of textile exporter, Banpot said, adding that he believed textile exports by Thailand this year would enable the country to earn about 200 billion baht. Key importers are the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, Japan and ASEAN members, he said. Debt crisis in Europe is not expected to impact Thailand much because Europe is not the principal market. The Industrial Promotion Department on Wednesday organised a workshop for small - and medium-sized enterprises operators to enable them to be well prepared for the launching of AEC. Meanwhile, Thirapap Aewpittayakul, managing director of Jong Pattana Co., Ltd., said the Thai government must ask fellow member countries in ASEAN to strictly adhere to AEC agreement to lower tariff to zero per cent. Thirapap charged that it is found that both Indonesia and the Philippines are still imposing tariffs on Thai goods. (TNA)