Indonesian exports show recovery

Indonesian exports show recovery

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta-based consultancy firm PT TradeData
announced on Friday some early, albeit tentative evidence of a
recovery in Indonesian exports for the first time since the onset
of the crisis.

TradeData said in its latest report that Indonesia's exports
in May were only 4.4 percent below the trend established before
the crisis.

It said the increase in a large range of commodities
principally exported in small quantities, such as textiles,
forestry products, electronics and agribusiness had driven the
relatively strong export performance in that month.

The report, however, said that Indonesian exports to other
troubled Asian countries, namely Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea
and the Philippines, were 26.6 percent below the pre-crisis
trend.

This situation was due in a large part to a significant fall
in exports of petroleum products, copper ores and concentrates,
plywood, processed woods and other wood products as well as
tobacco and rubber products.

The report also revealed a fundamental change in structure of
Indonesian exports. Exports to Japan have fallen dramatically,
and are now around 50 percent below the pre-crisis trend.

However, exports to Singapore and Hong Kong have risen
dramatically in the past few months to offset this fall. The rise
in exports to these countries is moving away from traditionally
large exporters such as the oil and gas industry, copper and
plywood in favor of small shipments of a wide range of items,
particularly textiles, wooden products, electronics and
agribusiness.

The report also said that Indonesian exports to North America,
Europe and Australia are showing an upward trend. (gis)