"Compared to July 2018, the figure dropped but in comparison with August 2017, it rose 24.65 percent," BPS Chief Suharyanto stated here on Monday.
Suharyanto noted that non-oil/non-gas imports in August 2018 stood at $13.79 billion, down by 11.79 percent as compared to July 2018, but up by 19.97 percent in comparison with August 2017.
Among the groups of non-oil/non-gas commodities in August 2018, the imports of milk, butter, and eggs recorded the highest increase of $48.6 million, or 94.19 percent, while the imports of machinery and mechanical appliances witnessed the largest decline of $294.3 million, or 11.31 percent, as compared to the previous month, he noted.
China was listed as the biggest supplier of imported non-oil/non-gas commodities to Indonesia during the January-August 2018 period, with a value of $28.78 billion, or 27.56 percent of the total; followed by Japan, with $11.98 billion, or 11.47 percent; and Thailand, with $7.29 billion, or 6.98 percent.
Indonesia`s non-oil/non-gas imports from other ASEAN member states accounted for 20.47 percent and from the European Union represented 9.18 percent of the total.
The imports of all groups of goods, including consumer goods, raw materials, and capital goods, in the first eight months of 2018 rose 27.38 percent, 23.24 percent, and 29.24 percent respectively as compared to the same period last year.
"We hope that imported raw materials would be processed to produce added value, so that it contributes to the national economy," he added.
Reporting by Sella Panduarsa Gareta
Editing by Suharto, Sri Haryati
Reporter: antara
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
