Thai June exports rise 20.8% on year, higher than forecast

[BANGKOK] Thailand’s customs-cleared exports rose 20.8 per cent in June from a year earlier, the commerce ministry said on Friday (Jun 24), higher than analysts’ expectations.

The June reading compared with a forecast rise of 16.85 per cent in a Reuters poll and followed an increase of 10.6 per cent in the previous month.

Imports rose 50.3 per cent in June from a year earlier, higher than the poll forecast rise of 37.1 per cent year on year.

Thailand recorded a trade deficit of US$6.53 billion for the month, compared with a poll forecast of a US$4 billion deficit.

In the first half of 2026, exports rose 17.6 per cent year-on-year. Thailand’s exports rose 12.9 per cent last year.

In June, shipments to the United States, Thailand’s largest market, rose 44.3 per cent from a year earlier, while shipments to China increased 4.9 per cent, the ministry said. REUTERS