Thai July exports rise 21.6% y/y, beating forecast

[BANGKOK] Thailand’s customs-cleared exports rose 21.6 per cent in July from a year earlier, the commerce ministry said on Thursday (Aug 27), higher than analysts’ expectations.

The July reading compared with a forecast rise of 17.75 per cent in a Reuters poll and followed a 20.8 per cent increase in the previous month.

Imports rose 36.7 per cent in July from a year earlier.

Thai exports in 2026 are expected to continue expanding as demand rises for products related to technology and AI, the commerce ministry said.

Thailand recorded a trade deficit of US$3.61 billion for July, compared with the poll forecast of a US$5.38 billion deficit.

The ministry has forecast exports will grow more than 11 per cent in the year as a whole, up from a previous forecast of 8 per cent.

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In the first seven months of 2026, exports increased 18.2 per cent year-on-year. Thailand’s exports rose 12.9 per cent last year.

In July, shipments to the United States, Thailand’s largest market, rose 45.3 per cent from a year earlier, while shipments to China rose 15.2 per cent, the ministry said. REUTERS