Exports from Bali have dropped 13.35 percent, from US$70.89 million in the first quarter of 2008 to $61.43 million in the same period this year.
Panudiana Kuhn, chairman of the Bali branch of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), said the decrease in exports was a result of the current financial crisis.
"This bleak situation has been occurring for a few months, and we do not have any idea when exports will recover," he said.
Kuhn, who owns a garment business, said exports such as garments and handicrafts were likely to decrease significantly in the coming months.
"Bali exports these products to countries in Europe where the demand for such goods has sharply decreased," he said.
"We are still surviving and thank God, we *Balinese businessmen* have not been forced to lay-off our workers due to the economic hardship."
Statistics from the Bali office of the Central Statistic Agency (BPS) showed the largest decrease of exports occurred in the footwear industry, followed by wood products and jewelry.
Footwear export dropped from $4.95 million to $3.30 million, wood and wood products from $2.60 million to $2.23 million, and jewelry and precious stones from $16.05 million to $14.18 million.
The records also show that garment exports dropped from $16.61 million to $15.67 million in the first quarter, knitted products from $3.75 million to $3.63 million, cotton from $958,000 to $910,000, and textiles from $716,000 to $656,000.
Head of the BPS's Bali office, Ida Komang Wisnu, said there had been a slight increase in the export of household goods and interior products, amounting to $2.18 million or a 12.32 percent increase.
Wisnu said the majority of Balinese exports this year had gone to Japan (20.30 percent), the United States (14.03 percent), Italy (10.78 percent), Singapore (10.04 percent) and Australia (9.46 percent).
Canada mostly imported furniture and household items, Hong Kong imported jewelry while the majority of shrimp, fish and leather products were imported by Japan.
Overall, Balinese imports of various goods dropped by 29.55 percent.
Despite significant losses this quarter, several exports improved, including fish and shrimp, furniture and leather goods.
