Data from BPS Gorontalo shows a significant spike in the volume and value of exports from Gorontalo Province in 2023. Based on the report, the volume of exports through various loading ports increased from 146,947.14 tons in 2022 to 213,175.02 tons in 2023. This increase also drove an increase in the Free on Board (FOB) value from USD 51,971,858 to USD 55,176,924. The Port of Gorontalo was the main contributor with an increase in export volume from 136,417.19 tons in 2022 to 201,997.88 tons in 2023. In terms of export value, the figure increased from USD 33,851,978 to USD 40,152,863.
Meanwhile, several other ports also recorded increases. Surabaya, for example, experienced an increase from 10,457.29 tons to 11,150.81 tons, although the export value experienced a slight decrease from USD 17,324,812 in 2022 to USD 14,999,486 in 2023. Several other ports, such as Jakarta, North Sulawesi, and Bali, recorded smaller export volumes. Jakarta only recorded exports of 0.30 tons in 2023, down from 22.17 tons the previous year. North Sulawesi also experienced a decrease from 50.40 tons to 25.99 tons with export values dropping from USD 60,389 to USD 23,646. In contrast, exports through the port of Makassar were not recorded in this report, indicating that there has been no significant export activity through this route in the past two years. The increase in exports from Gorontalo indicates positive regional economic growth, especially in the foreign trade sector. The increase in export value also shows that global demand for commodities from Gorontalo is still strong.
In the future, optimization of port infrastructure and logistics efficiency can further increase Gorontalo's export competitiveness in the international market.
