RI`S EXPORTS DROP 29.51 PCT IN FIRST FOUR MONTHS

Jakarta, June 1 (ANTARA) - Indonesia's exports in the January-April period in 2009 dropped 29.51 percent compared with the figure in same period last year, the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) reports.

"The value of exports in the first four months this year reached US$31.49 billion or dropped 29.51 percent (compared with last year)," BPS Chief Rusman Heriawan said here on Monday.

Rusman said the decline in oil and gas exports was steeper than that in non-oil and non-gas exports because the price of oil had dropped in the period.

The country's non-oil and non-gas exports from January to April 2009 reached US$26.9 billion or slumped 22.68 percent compared with the same period last year.

Exports of copper, nickel and tin recorded the sharpest declines, namely by US$592.3 million while exports of mineral fuels such as coal still rose significantly, namely by US$238.6 million.

Rusman said exports of industrial products were down 28.29 percent and agricultural produce by 7.38 percent while exports of non-oil and non-gas mining products rose 11.63 percent.

"Coal exports rose because the price was good," he said.***