THAILAND EXPORTS

BY MARK ROWETHAILAND'S leather goods exports have slipped for the third consecutive year, as manufacturers of international brands of leather goods move away from the country to tap cheaper labour costs in China. Exports are expected to fall below last year's total value of Baht 70 billion (US$1.6 billion), according to the Thai Leather Goods Association, which said that the SARS virus and the Iraq war had further added pressure to the market. The association calculates that overseas shipments of leather bags have dropped by up to 50 per cent to Baht 10 billion ...


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