Exports, a key driver of the Southeast Asian country's economic growth, fell 6.2 percent last month from a year earlier to 22.14 billion U.S. dollars, edging down from a year-on-year decline of 6.4 percent in June, according to the data released by the Ministry of Commerce.
Despite a global decline in consumer spending due to tightened lending standards and monetary policies, concerns over food security led to notable growth in Thai food product shipments, particularly rice and fruits, the ministry said in a statement.
A breakdown of the data revealed that Thailand's export of industrial products contracted 3.4 percent in July from a year earlier, down from a 4.6-percent decrease in the previous month.
Meanwhile, shipments of agricultural and agro-industrial products shrank 9.6 percent from a year earlier, marking the third straight month of contraction.
The data also indicated Thailand's imports plunged 11.1 percent from a year earlier to 24.12 billion dollars in July, resulting in a trade deficit of 1.97 million dollars.
For the first seven months of the year, the kingdom's exports fell 5.5 percent from a year earlier, while imports dropped 4.7 percent, yielding a trade deficit of 8.28 billion dollars, according to the ministry.
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