RI exports to Japan drop by 50% in March: BPS

Indonesian exports to Japan in March dropped by 50 percent in terms of volume and 25 percent in value following an earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11 and subsequent nuclear crisis, the Indonesian Central Statistics Agency (BPS) says.

“Based on our recent monitoring, our exports to Japan in March 2011 experienced a quite significant decline; 25 percent in value...” BPS chief Rusman Heriawan said Friday in Jakarta.

He further explained that the decline may have been caused by the condition of Japanese ports, which haven't fully recovered from the disaster, adding that the decline had only affected exports to Japan so far, and not other countries.

Rusman made the statements while presenting statistics on the Indonesian economy, at a monthly meeting with journalists at the BPS office, which takes place at the beginning of each month.

No figures have been made available on the decline in March exports, since the agency presented only February figures compared with the month before and during the same period last year.

Japan was Indonesia's top non-gas-and-oil exports destination in February, with export values to Japan totaling US$1.66 billion, an increase from $1.21 billion in January.