Exports to main buyers rises by 3.8%

JAKARTA (JP): Non-oil and gas exports to Indonesia's 24 main export destinations rose by 3.86 percent to US$21.92 billion in the January-July period of this year, compared to $21.11 billion in the same period last year, the Ministry of Industry and Trade announced in a statement on Saturday.

The ministry said that the value of exports to the main destinations accounted for $24.45 million, or 89.65 percent of the total value of the country's non-oil and gas exports in the first seven months of this year.

The 24 main exports destinations are; the United States, Singapore, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Germany, Malaysia, China, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, the Philippines, Italy, Thailand, India, Saudi Arabia, France, Canada, Brazil and Vietnam.

During the January-July period of his year, the highest increases were recorded in exports to Singapore, Australia and China, at 47.33 percent, 38.52 percent and 37.08 percent respectively.

Exports to Belgium increased by 12.2 percent, to Canada by 9.33 percent, to Malaysia by 8.86 percent, to France by 8.53 percent, to Germany by 7.88 percent, to the United Arab Emirates by 7.54 percent, to Thailand by 5.86 percent and to the United States by 3.64 percent.

But non-oil exports to Brazil during the same period dropped by 38.82 percent. Exports to Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands and Spain also fell over the same period by 14.89 percent, 4.29 percent and 0.99 percent respectively.

The ministry said the United States was the top export destination for Indonesian produce throughout the seven-month period, accounting for 15.99 percent of the country's total non- oil and gas exports. Singapore was in second place, accounting for 14.88 percent, followed by Japan, which accounted for 12.56 percent. (gis)