Mon, 04 Oct 2010

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s imports in August fell 3.21 percent to US$12.22 billion from a month earlier, bringing imports in the first eight months of 2010 to US$87.78 billion, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) said.

"The decline was caused by non-oil/non-gas imports which fell US$504 million or 4.79 percent. However, oil/gas imports rose US$98.9 million or 4.69 percent," BPS Chairman Rusman Heriawan said here on Friday.

Crude oil imports increased US$161.8 million or 27.7 percent. However, oil product imports declined US$36.4 million or 2.25 percent and gas imports dropped US$26.5 million or 33.8 percent, he said.

Non-oil/non-gas imports in August reached US$10.01 billion, down 4.79 percent from the previous month. Overall, non-oil/non-gas imports in the January-August 2010 period rose 43.56 percent to US$70.35 billion compared to the same period last year, he said.

Oil/gas imports in August reached US$2.21 billion, an increase of 4.79 percent from a month earlier, he said.

He said machines and mechanical goods still dominated Indonesia`s non-oil/non-gas imports in August although their value dropped 6.54 percent from the month before. Overall, the import of machines and mechanical goods in the first eight months of 2010 rose 37.06 percent from the same period last year.

The import of consumer goods in the January-August 2010 period rose 52.37 percent, raw materials 51.25 percent and capital goods 31.2 percent compared to the same period last year. (*)