BANGKOK — Thailand's exports are expected to rise 1 percent to 2 percent this year, the Thai National Shippers' Council said on Tuesday, maintaining a previous forecast.

Export growth in the first half of 2024 will also be 1 percent to 2 percent, driven by rice, rubber, auto parts and electronic parts, council chairman Chaichan Chareonsuk told a news briefing.

Thailand's exports, a key driver of the economy, rose 7.2 percent in May from a year earlier, expanding at the fastest pace in four months, according to commerce ministry data.

Shipments increased 2.6 percent in the January-May period from a year earlier, after falling 1 percent in the whole of 2023.