Indonesian exports rise 8.5% as imports fall 5.3%

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's monthly exports rose by nearly 8.5 percent to US$4.69 billion in September from $4.33 billion in the same month last year, according to the lastest government figures.

Exports in the first three-quarters of this year also rose, by 9.09 percent to US$39.49 billion from US36.30 million in the January-September period, last year.

Of the total September exports, US$917 million came from oil and gas, and the remaining $3.78 billion from the non-oil and gas sector, the Ministry of Industry and Trade announced yesterday,

Non-oil and gas exports rose in the first nine months by 10.27 percent to US$30.81 billion in the same period last year, while oil and gas exports rose by 5.10 percent to US$8.67 billion.

The ministry's report says the increase in the non-oil and gas exports during this year's first three quarters was comparably higher than other countries in the region, including the 1.51 percent rise in Malaysia, 6.62 percent in Thailand and 2.68 percent in Singapore.

Indonesian imports in September dropped by 5.3 percent to US$3.45 billion on a year-to-year basis.

Of this amount, US$326 million came from oil and gas imports, down by 32.36 percent year on year, and US$3.12 billion came from the non-oil and gas sectors or a 8.03 percent decline.

Imports in the January-September period this year declined by 0.45 percent from the same period last year to $31.78 billion, consisting of oil and gas imports totaling US$2.95 billion, and non-oil and gas imports of US$28.83 billion.

The non-oil and gas imports fell by 2.14 percent from US$29.83 billion in the same period last year, while the oil and gas imports rose by 19.86 percent from US$2.26 billion, the report says.

The country booked a trade surplus of US$1.24 billion in September's balance of payments, of which $591 million was from oil and gas and $655.6 million from non-oil and gas sources.

The trade surplus in September was an 81.72 percent increase on the same month last year, the report says.

During this year's first three quarters, the balance of payments also experienced a US$7.70 billion trade surplus, up from US$4.27 billion in the same period last year.

The non-oil and gas trade surplus in the first nine months rose by 230.33 percent to US$1.98 billion, while the oil and gas trade surplus slid by 1.18 percent to US$5.72 billion.

The report says non-oil and gas trade has experienced a trade surplus since May this year. In February the sector also experienced a surplus, it says. (das)