"Exports in January still increased, but their growth weakened due to the impact of the global crisis," deputy trade minister Bayu Krisnamurthi said in a statement released here on Thursday.
According to the National Statistics Agency (BPS), total exports in January reached US$15.49 billion, up 6.07 percent from the same period last year.
Further, total exports in January 2011 reached US$14.45 billion, rising 24.65 percent from the same period in 2010.
Bayu said Indonesia needs to closely monitor export developments, which tends to have weakened since October 2011.
The trend shows that the crisis in Europe and the US has started to affect Indonesia`s exports, he said.
He noted that the negative effect of the crisis in Europe and the US would not only affect Indonesia, but China and South Korea have also been harmed, he said.
Both Chinese and South Korean exports in January 2012 also dropped, respectively, by 0.5 percent and 7.0 percent.
"The drop has brought a domino effect to other countries, including Indonesia" he said.
(Tz.M035/H-YH/INE/B003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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