Thailand's exports jumped 30.8 per cent last month to reach 13.7 billion dollars, bolstered by rising world demand for its agricultural and industrial goods, the commerce ministry said Friday. In January imports also rose 44.8 per cent to hit 13.2 billion dollars, leaving the kingdom with a trade surplus of 516 million dollars, dpa reported. It was the third month in a row Thailand has seen a year-on-year rise in exports, still the country's main engine for economic growth, Commerce Minister Porntiwa Nakhasai said. In 2009, total exports amounted to 152.5 billion dollars, down 14.2 per cent compared to 2008 figures while imports were 133.8 billion dollars, down 25.4 per cent on the previous year. Porntiwa said the recovery of the world economy had led to an increase in demand for Thailand's exports, including agricultural goods that earned the kingdom 2.4 billion dollars in January, up 46.2 per cent year-on-year. "Demand for agricultural products rose last month partly because of climate change, which adversely affected crops in some countries," Porntiwa said. Thailand's lead export item in January was electronics, bringing in 2.6 billion dollars, 64.9 per cent more than the year before, followed by automobiles and automobile parts at 1.5 billion, an increase of 43.5 per cent, and electrical appliances at 1.4 billion dollars, up 43 per cent.
