Thai sugar exports sour

Thai sugar exports sour

BANGKOK (AP): Thailand's sugar exports to most of its Asian customers dropped off sharply in this year's first five months because of the region's economic crisis, the government's Office of Cane and Sugar Board said yesterday.

Thailand is one of the top sugar exporters in the world. Sugar exports to Indonesia, Thailand's largest customer, totaled 708,750 metric tons from January to May, compared to 915,900 tons for the same period last year, a decline of 22.6 percent.

Exports to South Korea, the second major importer, registered a drop of 77.4 percent, to 116,255 tons from 515,317. Sugar exports to Malaysia dropped by 72.5 percent, from 260,050 tons to 71,510.

Exports to China were down by 33.8 percent, from 114,200 tons to 75,640.

However, exports to Japan continued to show modest growth, increasing 16.2 percent to 362,065.92 tons from 311,651.41.