Nov exports up 4.9% y/y, below forecast

Customs-based exports rose for a fourth straight month in November, up 4.9% from a year earlier, customs department data showed, but were short of expectations.

The reading compared with a forecast for a 6.3% year-on-year increase for November in a Reuters poll, and followed October’s 8% year-on-year rise.

Imports jumped 10.1% in November from a year earlier, beating a forecast rise of 3% in the poll, resulting in a trade deficit of $2.4 billion for the month, versus a forecast deficit of $0.55 billion.

Exports, a key driver of Thailand’s economy, were helped by…