US FTAs push Thai garment exporter out of the country
14 Jul '06
2 min read
Thai's are concerned most with FTAs with the US and Japan, because these two countries control 58 percent of the Kingdom's garment exports.
FTA would create a domino effect in the Thai textile industry, forcing Thai manufacturers to restructure both manufacturing and management to take bigger orders, in accordance with demand.
Huge production volumes will revive the Kingdom's nearly dead weaving and bleaching, dyeing, printing and finishing industries.
The industry employing about 1.2 million workers had generated US $3.16 billion in foreign exchange income last year.
In the Kingdom both fabric and garment manufacturing have a combined investment of Bt220 billion, out of which spinning, yarn production and the printing, dyeing and finishing industries account for Bt200 billion and the remaining vying for garment production.