Indonesia's export set to pick up this year

By：Xinhua Net Update：2017-08-24

JAKARTA, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- The government of Indonesia has estimated shipment of products overseas will rebound this year after it declined last year due to rising prices and demand of global commodities.

Indonesian trade ministry on Wednesday projected the country's export to grow 5.6 percent this year from a 0.34-percent decrease last year.

Exports of products from Indonesia reached 131.35 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, according to the national statistics bureau.

Indonesian Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said coordination is badly needed among stakeholders to achieve the target.

"Coordination aims at developing export in 2017, which is targeted to boost performance of Indonesian exported products to global market," he said.

Indonesia has enjoyed trade surplus in the last several months as rising global demand and prices of commodities, the country's major export products, have spurred exportation from the country, partly helping strengthen the foreign exchange reserve of the central bank and the country's current account performance.

Indonesia, a natural resources rich-country, is the world's biggest exporter and producer of thermal coal and crude palm oil.

The country is also among the world's top three of rubber and cocoa exporter, and home to the world's second-largest copper mine.