Fruit exports have been a star performer for Thailand over the past few years, driven mainly by demand from China. (Photo: VNA) Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s fruit exporters are hoping that the negative effects of the acute respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) will soon be over.
Fruit exports have been a star performer for Thailand over the past few years, driven mainly by demand from China.
Fresh fruit exports to China rose by almost 50 percent to 700,000 tonnes in 2018, and increased by a further 123 percent in the first half of 2019.
The sector is doing so well that in some months the value of Thai fruit exports exceeded that of automobile shipments.
In January-October last year, fruit exports reached 3.2 billion USD, making Thailand the world’s sixth largest fruit exporter, after Spain, the Netherlands, Mexico, the US, and Chile.
Thailand is currently the third largest fruit exporter to China after Vietnam and Malaysia.
However, the COVID-19 epidemic has hit fruit exports from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – to which Thailand is a member - as people in China have been confined to home while economic activities have declined dramatically.
As of March 10, Thailand confirmed 53 COVID-19 cases. Of these, one died and 33 others were discharged from hospital./.
VNA
