Textile exports rose 10.5 percent in 1996: Tunky
Textile exports rose 10.5 percent in 1996: Tunky
JAKARTA (JP): Export of textiles and textile products rose
10.5 percent to US$6.85 billion last year from $6.2 billion in
1995, Minister of Industry and Trade Tunky Ariwibowo said
yesterday.
After meeting with President Soeharto, Tunky said the increase
was the highest growth in the last five years.
The increase was made possible by better management of quota
allocations to registered exporters and the United States'
flexibility in applying new rules of origin for Indonesian
textile exports, he said.
"The new rules of origin would have brought negative impacts
to our textile exports. However, we successfully negotiated with
them and the result was our textile exports increased
significantly," Tunky said.
The United States is one of several countries imposing textile
quotas on textile exporting countries, including Indonesia.
Its new rules on origin, introduced last July, discouraged
exports from developing countries and were criticized by many as
a deviation in international trade policy.
Tunky said 40 percent of the textile exports had been made
under quotas.
Indonesia's textile exports, accounting for 15 percent of
total exports, have fluctuated since the early 1990s.
The value of textile exports increased from $4.01 billion in
1991 to $5.95 billion in 1992 and $6.18 billion in 1993. They
dropped by 6.2 percent to $5.79 billion in 1993 before rebounding
to $6.2 billion in 1995.
To further encourage growth this year the government had
waived the requirement for a letter from exporters stating their
export quota, Tunky said.
The government had also increased the number of small-scale
businesses and cooperatives allowed to export textiles and
textile products from 92 to 214.
It also provided special tax, customs and banking breaks to
textile exporters, along with exporters of shoes, electronics,
wood and rattan products and leather goods.
Trade
Tunky reported a 72 percent increase in trade surplus to $5.2
billion during the first 10 months of last year, increased from
$3 billion during the same period of 1995.
In the period, total exports increased by 10.4 percent to
$40.6 billion, consisting of $9.3 billion oil and gas exports and
$31.2 billion non-oil exports.
Total imports increased by 5.1 percent to $31.9 billion,
comprising $2.4 billion oil and gas imports and $29.4 billion for
non-oil and gas imports.
"Looking at these figures, we can say our economy is
improving, with export growth exceeding import growth," Tunky
said.
As a comparison, Indonesia's exports increased by 13.39
percent to $45.4 billion in 1995 from $40 billion a year before,
while imports rose by 22.9 percent to $40.6 billion from $31.98
billion.
Indonesian exports to Asia-Pacific countries last year
accounted for 68 percent of total exports.
Japan remained the largest market, absorbing 18.3 percent of
total exports, followed by the United States with 16 percent.
Europe followed with 20 percent.
Almost all leading export commodities performed well last
year, except pulp and paper which saw a cyclical downward trend
in prices, Tunky said.
The performing products included electronics, wood and rattan
products, textiles, automotive parts and chemical products. (rid)