Indonesia's trade balance during the Covid-19 pandemic continued to show good performance. The export of a number of commodities has skyrocketed, the trade surplus has an increasing trend in the period May to September. The Minister of Trade, Agus Suparmanto, in a press release from the Committee for Handling Covid 19 and National Economic Recovery, said that cumulatively, the trade balance from January to September 2020 reached US $ 13.5 billion. "This value exceeded Indonesia's trade balance as a whole in 2017 and is the highest achievement since 2012. Several commodities also grew positively during this pandemic, including other finished textile goods, iron and steel, as well as precious metals or jewelry," said Minister of Trade Agus Suparmanto. , Tuesday 10 November 2020.
Minister of Trade Agus Suparmanto said that another Indonesian export commodity that is also growing is personal protective equipment (PPE). The export value of PPE, including masks, during this pandemic has reached US $ 192.5 million. In September 2020, a number of Indonesia's main non-oil and gas export commodities that experienced an increase were iron and steel, animal or vegetable fats and oils. Also vehicles and their components, electrical machinery and equipment, plastics and plastic goods, as well as several agricultural and industrial commodities.
The increase in the export value of iron and steel, according to the Minister of Trade, Agus Suparmanto, was due to increased demand from China and Malaysia due to the recovery of domestic industries in both countries. Meanwhile, the increase in exports of animal or vegetable fats and oil products was due to the increase in the price of palm oil in the international market and the increase in demand from China and India. During this pandemic, according to Trade Minister Agus Suparmanto, China, the United States and Japan were still the main destination countries for Indonesia's non-oil and gas exports. For the period from January to September 2020, the value of non-oil and gas exports to several countries actually increased, to China (up 11 percent), the United States (2.9 percent), Switzerland (228.1 percent), Australia (13.4 percent), Pakistan (13 percent), and Italy (1.2 percent).
Meanwhile, the micro, small and medium enterprises (UMKM) sector, according to the Minister of Trade, Agus Suparmanto, is also the main concern of the Ministry of Trade. In order for MSMEs to survive, the Ministry of Trade has taken various strategic steps. Among other things, by encouraging the local economic acceleration program for the MSME sector through the Proud Indonesia (BBI) program with related ministries or institutions. BBI's target for 2 million MSMEs to the digital platform was achieved last September.Through the BBI program, according to the Minister of Trade Agus Suparmanto, the Ministry of Trade has opened market access through online trade through the issuance of the Minister of Trade Regulation No. 50 of 2020 concerning Provisions for Business Licensing, Advertising, Development, and Supervision of Business Actors in Trading Through Electronic Systems (PMSE). Promote unique Indonesian knick-knacks products, through the site https://bbi.kemendag.go.id/ which contains a guide for MSMEs to enter the digital platform. "Hopefully, the various efforts and programs of the Ministry of Trade, can help business actors to survive, in addition, be able to accelerate the process of national economic recovery," concluded the Minister of Trade Agus Suparmanto.
