Thailand's customs-cleared exports dropped for a second straight month in December, down 1.72% from a year earlier, as against analysts' forecast for a small rise, the Commerce Ministry said on Monday.
Analysts in a Reuters poll had estimated a 0.4% year-on-year rise in exports, a key driver of Thai growth.
In November, shipments contracted 0.95% year on year.
The export decline in December was due to falling shipments of electronics amid the Sino-US trade war and lower gold exports, the ministry said.
In December, imports fell 8.15% from a year earlier after jumping 14.66% in November. The poll forecast was for a rise of 3.87%.
That resulted in a trade surplus of $1.06 billion in December, compared with a forecast of a $1.1 billion deficit, and November's $1.18 billion deficit.
Exports to the United States rose 0.6% in December from a year earlier, while those to China fell 7.3%.
In 2018, exports rose 6.70% from a year earlier while imports jumped 12.51%.
The ministry targets export growth of 8% in 2019, while the Bank of Thailand predicts a 3.8% rise.