The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded Indonesia's cumulative export value for the period of January-December 2024 at USD 264.70 billion, marking a 2.29% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Meanwhile, cumulative non-oil and gas exports reached USD 248.83 billion, up by 2.46%. During the same period, non-oil and gas exports in the processing industry increased by 5.33% compared to 2023, driven by a rise in precious metal exports. On the other hand, exports of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products saw a significant increase of 29.81%, mainly due to higher coffee exports. However, exports of mining products and others fell by 10.20%, particularly due to a decline in coal exports.
Setijadi, Founder & CEO of Supply Chain Indonesia (SCI), emphasized the importance of implementing an end-to-end cold chain for perishable agricultural, forestry, and fishery products. "Cold storage and specialized technologies such as controlled atmosphere storage (CAS) are necessary to maintain product quality," he stated on Tuesday (January 28, 2025). He also highlighted the need for better packaging and consolidation processes to improve efficiency and economies of scale. "Downstreaming the agriculture, forestry, and fishery sectors is crucial to enhance product quality, quantity, and competitiveness," he added. Verani Hartati, Head of the Supply Chain Management Laboratory at Widyatama University, drew attention to the regional imbalance in export contributions. According to BPS data, three provinces accounted for 33.65% of total national exports in January-December 2024: West Java (USD 37.87 billion, 14.31%), East Java (USD 25.72 billion, 9.72%), and East Kalimantan (USD 25.46 billion, 9.62%). Verani urged for export programs based on the potential products or commodities of each region, not only for export purposes but also for regional economic growth. She emphasized the importance of improving accessibility and logistics connectivity in synergy with various ministries and agencies, with logistics connectivity improvement being based on supply chain mapping and the development of proper hub-and-spoke systems. Additionally, establishing strategic export gateways is essential to ensure efficient and effective product distribution to global markets.
