Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s exporters are beingurged to make the best use of existing free trade agreements (FTAs) to boostshipments of medical supplies, particularly for syringes and medical needles,as the COVID-19 pandemic has driven import demand for such products.

Auramon Supthaweethum, director-general of the Trade NegotiationsDepartment, said the outbreak has resulted in rising demand for medicalsupplies including syringes.

"Once a vaccine is developed, we believe demand will surge further," theBangkok Post newspaper quoted Auramon as saying.

Thai entrepreneurs should speed up their production to serve higher demand bothat home and abroad, she said, adding that higher use of tariff privilegesoffered under FTAs will enable Thai entrepreneurs to rapidly expand theirexports in overseas markets.

According to Auramon, in the first half of 2020, severalcountries were stocking up on imports of syringes and medical needles. Thailandhas relatively high potential for metal syringe production and exports. Thecountry ranks No.1 for syringe production in ASEAN and is No.6 in the world.

Thai producers should take this opportunity to rev up theirsupply for the domestic and export markets, especially to the 18 countries withwhich Thailand has FTAs implemented, she said.

In the first sixmonths of 2020, Thailand exported medical needles and syringes worth 200million USD, up 10.6 percent from the same period last year. Major exportmarkets were Japan, the US, France, Germany and China.

Shipments tocountries with which Thailand has FTAs totalled 86.3 million USD, accountingfor 43 percent of Thailand's total needle and syringe exports./.