The nickel ore exports contributed US$36.993 million to the province`s foreign exchange coffers, the head of the export section at the Central Sulawesi provincial industry, trade and small businesses office, Abdul Muin, said on Friday.
"An encouraging thing is that nickel ore has been listed as Central Sulawesi`s second biggest foreign exchange earner," he said.
Cocoa beans were still the province`s top export commodity, contributing US$97.709 million to the local economy in the January-July 2011 period, he said.
Compared to the same period last year, nickel ore exports in the first seven months of 2011 rose significantly, he said.
Last year the province exported 842 tons of nickel ore valued at US$11.880 million. The figure represented a 300 percent increase compared to the year before.
(T.BK03/S012/HAJM/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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