A display of Indonesia's key commodities at the lobby of the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing, China. (ANTARA/M. Irfan Ilmie)Beijing (ANTARA) -
Indonesia recorded a trade surplus of US$2.92 billion with China last year and emerged as Beijing's third-largest trade partner among ASEAN member states.
"The performance of our trade with China during the January–December 2021 period was encouraging," Indonesian Ambassador to China Djauhari Oratmangun told ANTARA in Beijing on Wednesday.
Quoting China Customs (GACC) data, the ambassador said that trade between Indonesia and China jumped 58.43 percent year on year (yoy) to US$124.34 billion last year.
"Accordingly, Indonesia's ranking among ASEAN member states in terms of trade with China also increased," he added.
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In 2021, Indonesia ranked third among ASEAN member states in terms of the size of its trade with China, up from fourth place in 2020 and fifth place in 2019, he informed.
"We highly appreciate the efforts and hard work of all Indonesian exporters that remain energetic amidst the quite big challenge," he remarked.
The Indonesian Embassy in Beijing, the Trade Ministry, and other governmental ministries have made constant efforts to resolve various trade barriers and find access to the Chinese market for Indonesia's key commodities, he said.
Compared to 2020, Indonesia's exports to China jumped 70.02 percent to reach US$63.63 billion and its imports from China rose 47.87 percent to touch US$60.71 billion last year, Oratmangun said. Consequently, Indonesia enjoyed a surplus of US$2.92 billion last year, he added.
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"Indonesia's imports (from China) mostly comprise raw materials needed to spur the productivity of the domestic industry," trade attaché with the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing, Marina Novira, said.
The export of Indonesian commodities to China, including mineral fuels, nickel derivatives, ceramics, precious stones, natural pearls, cultivated pearls, and processed fish meat rose more than 100 percent last year compared to the previous year, she added.
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Translator: M. Irfan Ilmie, Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
