Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s government on January 7 announced a 14-point planto promote trade in 2021, including a plan to look for more free-tradeagreements (FTAs).

Otherpoints include boosting the export of vegetarian and halal foods, and improvingexporters’ access to support services.

TheMinistry of Commerce said it would draw up the country’s first five-yeartrading plan, to support the national drive to produce and export morevalue-added products. Thai exports were severely hit in 2020 by the disruptionof the supply chains and lowered global demand brought about the COVID-10pandemic.

JurinLaksanawisit, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, said the governmenthopes to boost exports by pro-actively marketing Thai exports in key markets,accelerate efforts to create mini-FTAs, and promote the export of services.

BetweenJanuary and November 2020, Thai exports exceeded 210 billion USD, down 6.92 percentfrom the same period in 2019. The ministry now expects exports to expand by 4percent in 2021, based on the assumption that the global economy will expand by5.2 percent in 2021 compared with a contraction of 4.4 percent in 2020.

TheWorld Trade Organization (WTO) expects global trade to expand by 7.2 percent in2021, which should help with the recovery of Thai exports, according toPimchanok Vonkorpon, director-general of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office.

Theprivate-sector Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking said onJanuary 6 that it expects the Thai economy to grow by 1.5-3.5 percent this yearif exports expand by 3-5 percent as forecast.

ThaiNational Shippers’ Council also said this week that it expects the value ofThai exports to contract by 6.78 percent in 2020 before coming back to expandby 3-4 percent in 2021./.