Thailand Statistical Report

Posted: 04/07/95 14:11

By Errol de Silva
Diamonds accounted or some 40 percent of Thailand's overall trade in
the diamonds, gems and jewelry sector last year which amounted to US
$3.32 billion, according to official figures released in late March.
The two-way trade in diamonds alone was worth $1.34 billion with
imports into Thailand valued at $742.46 million, or 20 percent
higher than exports which were valued at $595.07 million. However,
Thai diamond exports are expected to close the gap due to the
continuing higher rate of expansion--25 percent per year last year
when compared with 14 percent for imports last year.
Gemquality polished imports accounted for more than half of the
overall value, and grew at 27 percent last year over the total in
1993. The lay in the fifth position in respect to the import value,
but its performance was rather poor with a 23 percent drop over the
figure in 1993.
This is all the more significant with the top four suppliers to
Thailand registering growth rates in excess of 25 percent last year
over 1993--India is ahead 36 percent to a value of $156.48 million;
Belgiumis up 30.24 percent to $125.36 million; Israelis up 25
percent to $29.93 and Hong Kong exported 35.59 percent more gems to
increase export values to $29.41 million.
The share of imports in the category of gem-quality polished goods
were valued at $390.5 million, or 53 percent of all inward diamond
shipments, while gem-quality rough goods accounted for the second
largest share at 26 percent, worth $190.44 million. The third
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largest share was taken by unsorted diamonds at 21.5 percent and
valued at $159.72 million.
Diamonds accounted for more than half of all imports in Thailand's
gems and jewelry sector at 53 percent, or $742.46 million out of
$1.3 billion. Outbound shipments of diamonds held a 31 percent share (
$595.07 million out of $1.9 billion last year).
The increasing importance of diamond exports fromThailand was
reflected by the inroads they have made into the export sectors of
gemstones and fine jewelry.
In 1993, diamonds accounted for 27 percent of all gemand jewelry
exports while the share accounted for by jewelry shipments was 40
percent and gemstones 8 percent. Last year diamond exports turned in
a better performance with a 30.91 percent while jewelry exports
accounted for 38. percent and gemstones 6.5 percent.
Gem-quality polished diamonds dominated the export sector with a very
strong performance accounting for 94 percent of the segment, with
their value recorded at $561.42 million out of a total of $595.07
million. Belgiumwas the main destination for goods in this category
with a value of $214.19 million, or 36.15 percent.
This was slightly less than the 40 percent share it held in 1993 (with
a value of $180.05 million out of a total of $451.1 million).
This has been attributed to a strong growth of gem-quality polished
exports to Hong Kong, which registered an expansion of 74.8 percent to
$159.9 million last year over 1993. Exports to Hong Kong increased
from20 percent in 1993 to 28.5 percent last year.
The US remained Thailand's key trading partner for the main categories
of manufactured jewelry(silver and diamond-cum-gem-set items) last
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year although imports recorded sharp declines-- -19 percent for silver
and -53.5 percent in respect of diamond-cum-gem-set items.
Overall imports of all categories of jewelry into Thailand dropped by
39 percent last year as compared with 1993. J ewelry imports into
Thailand are considered to be hardly significant, accounting for a
meager 2.15 percent of all imports under the gems and jewelry
classification.
J ewelry exports, on the other hand, tell a different story as they
account for the biggest share of overall export revenue. However, its
expansion of 5 percent was significantly lower than the sectoral
growth rate of 9.5 percent in 1994.
Exports to the US of diamond-cum-gem-set jewelry grew by 10 percent
last year to a value of $238.44 million (44 percent in this category
which increased by 5 percent over last year). There was a 3 percent
increase in silver jewelry shipments fromThailand to the US valued at
$65.54 million, or 44 percent of the overall value of exports under
this category.
J apan, as it has in previous years, dominated Thailand's platinum
jewelry exports taking in 93 percent of the value under the category,
or $31.23 million out of $33.44 million.
Thailand's exports of natural colored stones barely grew at a rate of
0.21 percent between 1993. Last year polished ruby exports expanded by
nearly 2 percent to $184.08 million from$180.59 million the prior
year. J apan remained as the top buyer last year as well although the
export value to the country dropped by .88 percent from$75.23
million to $74.58 million last year.
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The US and Hong Kong maintained their previous positions of No. 2 and
No. 3 in these two categories. Exports of polished rubies to the US
expanded by 5.5 percent to $39.82 million last year while the growth
rate of exports to Hong Kong was a very healthy 39.5 percent.
The situation vis-a-vis Hong Kong in respect to Thai exports of
polished sapphires was even more positive with the value of shipments
growing by a phenomenal 87.6 percent to $24.56 million. There was a
6 percent rise in exports to the US valued at $49.09 million.
Thailand's main gemstone import, polished emerald, showed a poor
performance last year when the value of imports declined by 18.5
percent to $22.47 million with its main supplier, India, shipping 27
percent less in the value of goods in this category, or $10.82
million in 1993 down to $8.4 million in 1994, while the second most
important source, Hong Kong (mainly re-exports fromthe territory on
the South China Sea) shipped polished emeralds worth $5.42 million
down 36 percent over the previous year's figure of $8.53 million.
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