RI'S EXPORTS DOWN 14.98 PERCENT IN 2009 : BPS

Jakarta, Feb 1 (ANTARA) - Indonesia's exports in 2009 decreased by 14.98 percent compared with their figure in the preceding year, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS).

"Exports in the January-December period in 2009 reached a total value of US$166,49 billion or down 14.98 percent compared to figure for the same period in 2008," BPS Chief Rusman Heriawan said here on Monday.

Non-oil/non-gas exports also decreased in value by 9.66 percent from US$97.47 billion in 2008. The decline almost matched the minus 10-11 percent prediction made by the government.

Meanwhile, Indonesia's exports during December 2009 reached US$13,33 billion or up 23.69 percent from the previous month's figure.

Non-oil/non-gas exports in December 2009 reached US$10,83 billion or increased 28.30 percent compared to the preceding month's figure.

The commodities contributing the most to the country's non-oil/non-gas export earnings in December 2009 were fats and vegetable oil which brought in US$1.092 billion.

Non-oil/non-gas commodities that earned the least foreign exchange were machinery and electric tools which only yielded US$46,8 million in December 2009, Rusman said.

Indonesia's non-oil/non-gas exports to Japan in December 2009 reached reached a total value of US$1,25 billion , to China US$1,19 billion and to the US US$1,04 billion.

Mineral exports in the January-December 2009 period increased by 31.93 percent while export of industrial products decreased by 16.93 percent compared with the figure of the same period in 2008.
Exports of agricultural products also declined by 4.83 percent from the figure for the same period in 2008.