Cavalieri Advises Thailand to Strengthen Regional Role as Gemstone Access Point

(IDEX Online News) – World Jewelry Confederation (CIBJO) president Gaetano Cavalieri has advised that the Thai gemstone and jewelry industry positions itself as the primary access point of the ASEAN bloc in Southeast Asia.

Speaking at a dinner summit in the Thai capital, Bangkok and organized by the country’s Department of Trade Promotion (DITP), the CIBJO president said that Thailand could serve as a center that connects and services the entire region, and also acts as a link to the rest of the world.

Cavlalieri said that although Thailand’s gemstone and jewelry industry had achieved the status of a world leader, with exports peaking at $13.1 billion in 2012, it is not always considered as such.

"Thailand's second-tier status as a centre has less to with production and sales capacity than it has to do with way that it is perceived in the business," he said.  "But perception is critical, for the way you are perceived by others affects your ability to market your products, and consequently is a principal factor in deciding whether you will be able to optimise sales and exports.”