January exports rise 23 percent<\/p>\n
Dadan Wijaksana
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Exports in January increased by 23 percent in value to US$4.92
\nbillion, compared to $4.09 billion posted in the same month last
\nyear, the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) reported on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
BPS chairwoman Soedarti Surbakti said at a media gathering
\nthat the figure was also 2.5 percent higher from the previous
\nmonth, which stood at $4.8 billion.<\/p>\n
\"With imports declining to $2.9 billion, the total trade
\nsurplus throughout January stands at $2.02 billion, up from $1.84
\nbillion in December,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Total imports in December was higher, at $2.96 billion.<\/p>\n
Trade surplus contributes around 10 percent to the nation's
\neconomic growth, with investment and domestic consumption being
\nthe other engines of growth.<\/p>\n
Although the impact is limited, the higher export sales should
\nbe encouraging as signaling a potential job market, as exporters
\ncould well be forced to expand their capacity to meet rising
\ndemands.<\/p>\n
Soedarti added that the rise in January's export figure was
\npartly pushed by higher sales in non-oil and gas exports at $3.73
\nbillion, up from $3.63 billion in December.<\/p>\n
A sharp rise in shipments to the United States was one of the
\nfactors causing the rise in non-oil and gas exports. Non-oil and
\ngas exports to the U.S. rose to $568.7 million in January, from
\n$497 million in December.<\/p>\n
BPS added that machinery and electrical equipment topped the
\nlist of non-oil and gas export commodities.<\/p>\n
The U.S., along with Japan and Singapore, is one of the
\ncountry's main export destinations, with the three countries
\nabsorbing around 40 percent of the country's total non-oil and
\ngas exports.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, BPS also reported that the inflation rate in
\nJanuary was up by 0.2 percent from the previous month, slowing
\ndown from the 0.8 percent rise recorded in January.<\/p>\n
This brings the country's annual inflation rate in February to
\n7.37 percent, well below the government's inflation target of 9
\npercent this year.<\/p>\n
Soedarti said an increase in the prices of processed food,
\nbeverages and cigarettes were largely responsible for the index's
\nslight increase.<\/p>\n
A controllable inflation would provide Bank Indonesia with
\nmore space to keep lowering its benchmark interest rates.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/january-exports-rise-23-percent-1447899208",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}