RI'S IMPORTS PLUNGE 25 PCT IN 2009

Jakarta, Feb 1 (ANTARA) - Indonesia's imports in 2009 plunged 25.03 percent to US$96.86 billion from a year earlier, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) said.

"In December 2009, Indonesia's imports reached US$10.33 billion, up 17.15 percent from November 2009 when the figure was US$8.81 billion," BPS Chairman Rusman Heriawan said here on Monday.

In 2009, Indonesia's non-oil/non-gas imports stood at US$77.87 billion, a 21.06 percent decline compared to the year before, he said.

"In December 2009 alone, non-oil/non-gas imports reached US$8.22 billion, up 17.75 percent from November 2009," he said.

Non-oil/non-gas imports in December 2009 were dominated by machinery and mechanical appliances worth US$1.42 billion, an increase of 12.13 percent from the month before, he said.

China was listed as the biggest supplier of non-oil/non-gas commodities to Indonesia last year with a value of US$13.50 billion, accounting for 17.33 percent of the total, he said.

Japan came in second with US$9.82 billion (12.61 percent), followed by Singapore US$9.24 billion (11.86 percent).

Indonesia's non-oil/non-gas imports from ASEAN member states and European Union respectively represented 23.18 percent and 11.11 percent of its total non-oil/non-gas imports, he said.

He said Indonesia's oil and gas imports last year also plummeted 37.85 percent to US$18.99 billion from a year earlier.

In December 2009 alone, oil and gas imports rose 14.88 percent to US$2.10 billion, he said.