Trade Minister: Consumer Goods are the Highest Contributor to Import Increase

Minister of Trade Budi Santoso stated that consumer goods were the highest contributor to the increase in imports, at 56.67 per cent, followed by raw and supporting materials at 35.46 per cent, and capital goods at 6.33 per cent in April 2026.

According to data from the Ministry of Trade, the value of imports in April 2026 was recorded at 25.21 billion USD. This figure represents a 31.28 per cent increase compared to March 2026 and a 22.49 per cent growth compared to April 2025.

“The increase in imports occurred across all categories of goods usage. This condition indicates an increase in public consumption needs as well as industrial requirements for raw materials and capital goods,” Budi said in a statement in Jakarta on Thursday.

The monthly surge in imports was primarily driven by a 45.09 per cent growth in oil and gas imports and a 28.55 per cent growth in non-oil and gas imports.

Cumulatively, total imports from January to April 2026 reached 86.51 billion USD, an increase of 13.40 per cent compared to the same period in 2025. This growth was supported by a 17.58 per cent rise in oil and gas imports and a 12.70 per cent rise in non-oil and gas imports.

When viewed by Broad Economic Categories (BEC), all import components recorded growth during the January-April 2026 period. Capital goods imports increased the most at 19.02 per cent, followed by consumer goods at 15.68 per cent and raw or supporting materials at 11.67 per pre cent.

“The increase in capital goods imports was driven by rising imports of several key commodities, including computers, aircraft, machines for electroplating and electrolysis processes, temperature-processing machines, and electric vehicles,” said Budi.

In terms of commodities, the highest surge in non-oil and gas imports from January to April 2026 occurred in aircraft and their parts, which increased significantly by 516.83 per cent. This was followed by salt, sulphur, stone, and cement at 84.65 per cent; metal ores, slag, and ash at 63.15 per cent; various chemical products at 37.72 per cent; and fruits at 34.75 per cent cumulatively.

Regarding the countries of origin, Indonesia’s non-oil and gas imports are still dominated by China, Japan, and Australia, with a combined contribution of 53.12 per cent. Meanwhile, the countries of origin with the highest growth in non-oil and gas imports included Mexico, which rose by 282.69 per cent, the Russian Federation at 125.56 per cent, and Argentina at 117.65 per cent cumulatively.