SA, Thailand to expand trade relations at business expo
South Africa will be looking to further expand trade relations with Thailand at the 8th annual Thailand Exhibition in South Africa next week.
Organised by Thailand's Department of Export Promotion the three-day expo will be held in Johannesburg from 17 June at the Sandton Convention Centre.
Minister of Commercial Affairs at the Thai Embassy in South Africa, Somdet Susomboon said: “South Africa and Thailand have a long history of excellent trade relationships, and bilateral trade between the countries continues to enjoy steady growth.
“South Africa has for several years now been Thailand's foremost trading partner in Africa, while Thailand in turn continues to rank as South Africa's number one trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations [ASEAN] region.”
The objective of the expo is to stimulate interest and facilitate new trade relationships between South Africa and Thailand.
In 2007 South African exports to Thailand grew an impressive 58%, with the top five exports being iron and steel, wood pulp, aluminium, precious stones and metals and organic chemicals.
Thai exports to South Africa were up nearly 30% in 2007, with exports of vehicles and parts, machinery, foodstuffs, electrical machinery and rubber ranking as the top five, and total trade for 2007 totally about $1.5 billion.
Since the expo's inception in 2001, Thailand has hosted several exhibitions in South Africa in regions including Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, demonstrating Thailand's commitment to growing trade and investment ties, said Susomboon.
The Thailand exhibition is a favourite of importers, traders and entrepreneurs looking for opportunities in bilateral trade.
Thailand is highly esteemed for the wide variety of products it manufactures, along with the competitive pricing and high quality of those products.
Indeed, quality is of paramount importance to Thai manufacturers and exhibition visitors will find that most products displayed comply with international standards like ISO 9000, HACCP food safety standards and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).
The Thailand Exhibition 2008 will provide the perfect platform for South African businesspeople to meet Thailand's leading manufacturers and exporters one-on-one, and to research the Thai marketplace and to source quality products and services.
Exhibitors at the expo will showcase a diverse range of products from the following key sectors including construction materials and hardware and machinery; food and beverages; furniture; gifts, decorative items and fashion accessories; household and kitchenware products; paper products; spa and beauty products; toys; and recycled plastics.
“With every year that passes, the Thailand Exhibition in South Africa gets bigger, more impressive and presents ever more opportunities for businesspeople from our two countries to do business to the benefit of both parties.
“The Office of Commercial Affairs of the Royal Thai Embassy is proud to once again host this exhibition and we are committed to delivering on the promise of the Thailand Exhibition 2008 slogan ‘Big Showcase - Great Choice!'
“I personally invite and encourage all South African importers, traders and entrepreneurs to explore what Thailand has to offer,” he concluded.
Article published courtesy of BuaNews
