Electronics exports jump 81% this year

Electronics exports jump 81% this year

JAKARTA (JP): Director general of metal, machinery,
electronics, and various other industries Agus Tjahajana said
that the country's electronics exports rose 81 percent this year
and was set to exceed textile in contributing to the country's
export earnings.

Agus said the export of textile products reached US$7.5
billion in value, an increase of 8.9 percent from 1999.

It was followed by electronics, which recorded a significant
rise to $7 billion in export value this year, an increase of 81
percent from the previous year, he said.

"Exports of electronics may exceed that of textiles in several
years time," Agus said.

Metal exports rose 19.7 percent to $2 billion this year and is
projected to increase 6 percent to $2.1 billion next year.

Machinery product exports increased 34.4 percent to $1.1
billion this year and is projected to increase 17.8 percent to
$1.3 billion next year.

Transportation mean exports rose 7.6 percent to $899 million
this year and is expected to increase 3 percent to $926 million
next year.

Agus said the government expects electronics exports to
increase 15 percent to $8.1 billion next year, while production
to increase by 17.2 percent to Rp 91.1 trillion from Rp 79
trillion this year, Agus said.

Chairman of the Indonesian electronic producers Rachmat Gobel
said separately that the government's target for next year was
quite reasonable as most companies had already intended to step
up exports in the new year.

"At least $4.7 billion could be expected from eight
electronics producers from Japan and South Korea," he was quoted
by Bisnis Indonesia as saying.

Rachmat said that the Matsushita Group had targeted a 24
percent increase of its exports in 2001 to $1.2 billion, and PT
Epson Industri Indonesia to $1 billion from $650 million this
year.

Samsung Electronics Indonesia expects to increase exports to
$800 million next year up from $600 million this year, while LG
Group has targeted to increase its exports to $600 million, he
said.

Toshiba Group, Sanyo Group, and Sony Electronics Indonesia all
expect to increase exports to $300 million, while Aiwa
anticipates $200 million worth of exports next year, Rachmat
said.

ASEAN (Association of the Southeast Asian Nations) countries
absorb 23.8 percent of Indonesian textile, electronic, metal, and
machinery products, Agus said, but he did not reveal where the
rest were exported.

"Except for automobile products, Indonesian products have a
strong competitive edge in ASEAN markets," Agus said.

Exports of textile, electronic, metal and machinery products
to ASEAN countries reached a peak of $4.5 billion in 1998 from
$3.7 billion the previous year. It slid back down to $3.6 billion
in 1999. (tnt)