Thailand signed a mini free trade agreement with Kofu-Japan recently, to form a partnership in the gem and jewellery industry to support business development in sales and marketing, technology transfer, business networking as well as trade fairs.
Located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Kofu is one of the world's leading jewellery manufacturing centres using various raw materials from Thailand, such as coloured gemstones, rubies, blue sapphires and jade.
During the first five months of this year, the export value of gems and jewellery from Thailand to Japan stood at 2.4 billion baht, up 10.4% year-on-year. This agreement will help further increase the export value of gems and jewellery from Thailand to Japan.
According to Dr Thaweelap Rittapirom is a director and executive vice-president of Bangkok Bank, highly skilled artisans, product quality and a strong manufacturing base have enabled Thailand to become a gems and jewellery hub.
’The desire for fine jewellery and gemstones dates back millennia and this will help the industry overcome the current difficulties so that it can continue to play an important role in the economy, employing miners, artisans, designers and merchants’ he said.
Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished
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