In a written statement issued during the 19th ASEAN Summit here on Satuday, Gita said Japan`s concern was conveyed by Japanese Economic, Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edane who is in Bali for the ASEAN and East Asia summits.
Edane had expressed hope Indonesia would continue to make it possible for Japan to import industrial raw materials such as minerals and coal from Indonesia.
The trade minister said he had explained to Japan that the downstream mineral and coal sectors in Indonesia would become very attractive for foreign investment, including from Japan.
Gita said he could understand the concern of Japan so that he tried to explain to Japan that Law No. 4 was intended as an effort to develop the down stream mineral and coal industries at home beginning in 2014.
Data at the trade ministry showed that Japan-Indonesia trade in 2010 reached US$$42.7 billion with the value of Indonesia`s exports to that country amounting to US25.8 billion and its import worth US$17 billion.
The value of two-way trade between the two countries in 2010 increased drastically by 50.35 percent from that in 2009 which stood at 28.4 billion dollars.
The trade balance between Indonesia and Japan since 2006 up to 2010 showed a surplus for Indonesia. Indonesia enjoyed a surplus of 8.8 billion dollars in its trade with Japan in 2010,or an increase of 1.15 percent compared with the surplus it enjoyed in 2009 amounting to 8.7 billion dollars.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
