The Thai Garment Manufacturers Association (TGMA) is targeting a 5-per-cent share of Japan's garment import market next year -- a sharp rise from the current one-per-cent share.
Association secretary-general Wallop Witanakorn said Japan has strong potential to become Thailand's major export market for apparel.
"Despite the slowdown in economic growth due to the global financial crisis, demand for imported clothes is still high in Japan, which is looking to compensate for a decline in imports from China," Wallop said.
Last year, Japan imported US$26.5 billion (Bt935 billion) worth of garments. It is expected to import $20 billion worth this year. Until recently, more than 90 per cent of imports came from China.
Wallop said the association wants to boost exports to Japan via the |soon-to-be-implemented Asean-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, and by making more effective use of the existing Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (Jtepa).
According to a TGMA report, exports to Japan grew by a significant 21.09 per cent to $42.36 million in the first two months of the year, while exports to the US fell 20.6 per cent; those to the European Union fell 2.15 per cent; and exports to Asean countries dropped by 5.42 per cent in the same period.
Thai garment exports fell 7.3 per cent year-on-year to $532.2 million in the first two months of the year.
Garment exports to Japan account for 8 per cent of total garment export value. The US is still the country's largest export market, accounting for 44 per cent of total value, followed by the EU with 30 per cent.
Wallop said Thai garment ex-porters have implemented a range of marketing and cooperation strategies. Japanese investors remain interested in investing in and doing more trade with Thailand, due to the Kingdom's high manufacturing and services standards. The free-trade agreement (FTA) with Japan will also boost trade and investment growth due to lower tariffs, Wallop said.
He urged the Thai parliament to endorse the Asean-Japan FTA so the pact can take effect in the middle of the year.
Dej Pattanasethpong, president of the TGMA, said Japan has agreed to boost the Thai garment and textile industry's efficiency through two projects implemented as part of the Jtepa pact, to upgrade bleaching knowledge among labourers and develop the overall quality of bleaching, design and finishing of textiles.
The Japanese government will fund one-third of the projects' Bt10.6-million cost.
Promoting exports to Japan will gradually compensate for the losses suffered by Thai garment exports in other markets, Dej said.
Suwanchai Loh, managing director of Thai Kaneta, a major Thai exporter of garments to Japan, said the firm targets 20-per-cent growth in exports to Japan this year from Bt150 million last year.
Exports to Japan account for 50 per cent of the company's total export value.
