Compared to the year-ago period, imports registered a slight decrease, it added.
"On the month-to-month basis, the 14-percent increase was due to the increased imports of oil and gas and non-oil and gas," said the agency's chief Suhariyanto at an online press conference on Friday.
The imports of oil in December stood at US$1.48 billion, a 36.57 percent increase compared to November, 2020, he informed. Meanwhile, non-oil imports increased 11.89 percent to US$12.96 billion, he added.
As of the year on year trend, imports experienced a slight decrease of 0.47 percent as oil imports fell 30.54 percent, while non-oil and gas imports grew 4.71 percent.
"The monthly import growth also exhibited an unconventional pattern. Usually imports go down in the month of December, as well as exports, as there are a number of holidays in December, but this did not happen in December 2020," Suhariyanto noted.
Imports of consumption goods, core materials, as well as capital goods also increased in December 2020, he said. Imports of consumption goods grew 31.89 percent month-on-month and 3.87 percent on a year-on-year basis; imports of core material swelled 14.15 percent month on month and experienced a 2.02-percent decline yoy; while, capital goods imports rose 3.89 percent month on month and 3.17 percent yoy.
A number of commodities that also saw a considerably substantial increase in imports included garlic, air conditioning machines, and fruits such as mandarin oranges and fresh apples imported from China.
"Other commodities include frozen beef that we imported from India, causing our consumption goods to increase by 31.89 percent," Suhariyanto informed. (INE)
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Translator: Ade Irma Junida/Aria Cindyara
Editor: Suharto
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