Head of the South Sulawesi Central Statistics Agency (BPS) Aryanto reported that the province experienced a trade surplus in exports and imports from January to April 2024, amounting to USD 313.32 million or IDR 5.08 trillion (exchange rate IDR 16,200). "The surplus value from export-import transactions for South Sulawesi's main commodities is around USD 313.32 million or more than IDR 5 trillion," he said in Makassar on Monday. From January to April 2024, various leading commodities exported to multiple countries totaled USD 653.08 million compared to the import value of USD 339.76 million. However, the monthly export value (month to month/mtm) saw a decrease of 25.99% from the previous month, falling from USD 190.26 million to USD 140.81 million. "Export and import trade fluctuates monthly. Trade data for April showed a decline of 25.99%, from USD 190.26 million to USD 140.81 million," he noted. Despite fluctuations in export transactions, South Sulawesi continues to export several key commodities while importing other essential goods, maintaining a surplus as export values consistently surpass import transactions.
The top five exported commodities in April 2024 were nickel (59.62%), iron and steel (12.55%), oil seeds (8.24%), mineral fuels (5.06%), and fish and shrimp (4.46%). Nickel remains the highest export commodity from South Sulawesi, valued at USD 83.95 million, followed by iron and steel at USD 17.67 million. Other significant exports include oil seeds at USD 11.60 million, fish and shrimp at USD 7.13 million, and lac, resins, and gums at USD 6.26 million. Aryanto highlighted that there are ten main export commodities from South Sulawesi contributing significantly to trade each year, with five being particularly prominent. In addition to the top five commodities, the other notable exports include salt, sulfur, and lime at USD 4.32 million; cocoa/chocolate beans at USD 2.66 million; processed meat and fish at USD 1.72 million; and fruits at USD 1.73 million.
