Thai April export growth beats forecast with US, China demand strong
A container is loaded onto a cargo ship while docked at a port under the Port Authority of Thailand, in Bangkok, Thailand on July 8, 2025.
PHOTO: Reuters
BANGKOK — Thailand's customs-cleared exports rose 23.1 per cent in April from a year earlier, driven by demand for electronics and automobiles, as well as robust shipments to the US and China, the commerce ministry said on Monday (May 25).
The April reading was above the 17.3 per cent increase forecast in a Reuters poll, and also exceeded the 18.7 per cent rise in the previous month.
Exports have increased for 22 consecutive months.
Exports, a key driver of the Thai economy, are expected to continue expanding at least in the first half of the year, supported by AI-driven demand, Nantapong Chiralerspong, head of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office, said at a briefing.
April exports were supported by importers ramping up orders to hedge against price volatility from supply chain disruptions and higher costs, the ministry said.
In a base-case scenario, shipments are expected to grow three per cent this year, Nantapong said, adding that the ministry's forecast ranged from a three per cent fall to a rise of eight per cent.
Thailand's exports rose 12.9 per cent last year.
In the first four months of 2026, exports rose 18.9 per cent year on year.
Shipments to the US, Thailand's largest market, increased by 44.2 per cent in April from a year earlier, while shipments to China rose 21.9 per cent and exports to the Middle East were up 19.3 per cent, the ministry said.
Imports for April saw a record annual increase of 45 per cent, above the 30.05 per cent forecast by analysts.
Thailand recorded a trade deficit of $10 billion (S$12.8 billion) for the month, a record high and double the figure expected by those polled.
The trade balance is expected to remain in deficit in the coming months, though the shortfall may narrow depending on fuel prices and whether AI-driven momentum persists, Nantapong said, adding that a wide trade deficit was weighing on the baht .
Thailand's first-quarter GDP growth beat forecasts but the 2026 outlook has been left unchanged.
Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas has said exports and purchasing power were expected to soften in the second quarter due to the impacts of the war in the Middle East.
[[nid:736578]]