Rice and sugar imports fall

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia imported significantly less rice and sugar in 2000 following the reimposition of import duties on the two commodities at the start of the year, Antara reported on Saturday.

Latest available figures from the Ministry of Industry and Trade showed that Indonesia imported 950,800 tons of rice between January and August, compared to 4.6 million tons for all of 1999.

Sugar imports amounted to 1.1 million tons during the first eight months, half the total of 2.2 million tons for all of 1999.

The government reimposed a 30 percent duty on imported rice and 25 percent duty on imported sugar in January 2000 to protect local farmers against cheap imports.

Antara said that Indonesia's rice imports between January and August came largely from China with 362,600 tons, Thailand (271,900 tons), Vietnam (226,400 tons), and Pakistan (19,800 tons). In 1999, Vietnam was the largest supplier with 1.8 million tons, followed by Thailand (1.4 million tons), China (875,800 tons), and Japan (377,400 tons).

Indonesia imported sugar largely from Thailand, Brazil, Pakistan, China, United Arab Emirates, and Britain.

The government has said that Indonesia will not need to import rice in 2001 because Bulog, the National Logistics Agency, has sufficient stocks to meet any shortfall in supplies.

Indonesia will import between 1.2 million and 1.5 million tons of sugar, mainly white, because of domestic supply shortfalls this year, according to traders as quoted by Reuters last week. (05)