RI'S MINING EXPORTS INCREASING

Gorontalo, March 7 (ANTARA) - Indonesia's mining product exports increased from 14 percent in 2008 to 20 percent in 2009, an Industry Ministry official said.

Herman Sutopo of the Industrial and Mining Product Exports Affairs of the Ministry of Industry said here this week that with the increase in the mining product exports, the export share of other non oil exports also dropped.

Industrial product exports dropped from 82 percent in 2008 to 76 percent in 2009.

In the last six years, coal exports rapidly increased in line with the rising world demand and international market prices.

"In 2004, the values of Indonesia's coal exports were recorded at only US$2.9 billion but in 2009 it rose to US$13.9 billion," he said.

He said that other mining products which showed increases were copper and tin which in 2004 their exports reached US$798 million and US$617 million respectively. In 2009 they rose to US$2.3 billion and US$1.3 billion respectively.