Thailand is planning a comprehensive revision of a key factory output indicator
after US officials flagged a widening gap between a surge in Thai exports and a
decline in domestic production, suggesting the discrepancy could indicate goods
transshipped through Thailand to evade tariffs. Thailand’s manufacturing
production index contracted 3.1% while exports rose 20.8% YoY in June, marking a
fourth consecutive month of double-digit export growth. Thai officials denied
the US allegation, saying the current production metric is outdated, overweights
traditional industries and fails to capture rapid growth in semiconductors and
other AI-related electronics. The secretary-general of the National Economic and
Social Development Council said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister
Ekniti aims to complete the revision by September.
