Export and import activities in South Sulawesi (Sulsel) show positive figures. For a year, South Sulawesi has had a surplus every month. Most recently, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded a surplus of USD 63.37 million in April 2025. Export activities from South Sulawesi itself reached USD 133.99 million. While imports were at USD 70.62 million. Data shows that year-on-year (y-o-y) South Sulawesi was able to maintain a surplus of export-import activities even though the nominal value fluctuated. In April 2024, South Sulawesi recorded a surplus of USD 74.74 million. South Sulawesi's exports reached USD 140.81 million. While imports entering South Sulawesi were only USD 66.57 million.
Head of the South Sulawesi Industry and Trade Service Ahmadi Akil said that South Sulawesi's export strength still relies on natural resources. Mainly raw materials from the fisheries sector, followed by agriculture and plantations. Our main export commodities are still more marine and fisheries products, carrageenan, seaweed, and fresh fish," Ahmadi Akil told Tribun-Timur.com on Saturday (6/14/2025). Ahmadi did not deny that the charm of South Sulawesi's marine products has received attention from industries in foreign countries. Plantation products are indeed also being eyed, but they have not been able to compete with fishery commodities. "Our plantations have coffee, chocolate. But it still can't beat maritime and fisheries," he explained. Superpowers such as China, the United States, Japan and Thailand always look at South Sulawesi's natural resources. Now international trade is directed at looking at markets in Middle Eastern countries. From the last one-year period, the highest surplus figure was achieved in September 2024. At that time, South Sulawesi's export value reached USD 163.8 million, while imports were at USD 46.46 million. This means that South Sulawesi managed to have a surplus of USD 117.34 million. However, South Sulawesi also achieved a surplus of only USD 30.20 million in December 2024. At that time, South Sulawesi's exports were indeed quite high at USD 170.47 million, but imports were also high at USD 140 million.
