BANGKOK, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's exports grew for a 21st successive month in March, driven by industrial shipments amid robust expansion in the global technology supply chain and a short-term easing of U.S. tariff measures, official data showed on Friday.
Exports, a key driver of the Southeast Asian country's economic growth, expanded 18.7 percent year-on-year last month to 35.16 billion U.S. dollars, reaching a record high and jumping sharply from a 9.9 percent increase in February, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The uptrend was also attributed to a continued rise in global manufacturing, as reflected in sustained demand and new orders in international markets, said Nantapong Chiralerspong, director-general of the ministry's trade policy and strategy office.
However, disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have begun to weigh on Middle East markets, which are now showing renewed signs of contraction, Nantapong told a news conference.
The data also indicated that imports climbed 35.7 percent from a year earlier to 38.50 billion dollars in March, resulting in a trade deficit of 3.34 billion dollars.
For the first quarter of 2026, exports gained 17.6 percent to 96.17 billion dollars, while imports surged 32.4 percent to 105.65 billion dollars, yielding a trade deficit of 9.48 billion dollars.
The Thai export outlook remains clouded by global geopolitical risks, highlighted by prolonged conflict in the Middle East that has pushed up logistics and energy costs and raised production expenses, the ministry said in a statement. ■
