BANGKOK, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Trade between Thailand and its free trade agreement (FTA) partners rose 21.8 percent year on year to 243.67 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2026, accounting for 57.3 percent of the country's total trade, official data showed on Monday.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, exports to the 18 FTA partners gained 12.6 percent to 105.49 billion dollars during the January-June period, while imports climbed 30 percent to 138.18 billion dollars.
China remained Thailand's largest FTA trading partner, followed by Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, and India, the ministry said in a statement.
Chotima Iemsawasdikul, director general of the ministry's Department of Trade Negotiations, said that despite geopolitical tensions, protectionist measures, and supply-chain uncertainty, the agreements had remained a key mechanism for opening markets, linking production chains, and securing industrial raw materials.
Chotima said the faster import growth reflected demand for production inputs, as more than 75 percent consisted of raw materials, intermediate goods, and capital goods used to raise productivity and add value to Thai output. ■