China-US Trade War to Affect Indonesia`s Exports: Expert

The trade war raised between the United States and China has entered a new phase.

Jakarta MINA – A China-the United States trade war will affect Indonesia`s exports, Antara News reported, citing Head of the International Relations Department, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Indonesia (FISIP UI) Evi Fitriani..

“Most of Chinese raw materials are imported from Indonesia. The raw materials processed by China and those exported to the United States,” Evi Fitriani said here on Tuesday.

If China`s exports to the United States declined, it would harm the interests of Indonesia.

“Indonesia`s exports to China will decrease,” she said.

Increased export value

Trade Attache of Embassy of Indonesia in Beijing, Dandy S Iswara, earlier said Indonesia`s export value to China throughout 2017 increased by 34.10 percent compared to 2016.

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“All of our export commodities to China have increased,” Dandy Iswara said.

Dandy Iswara said that the value of Indonesia`s exports to China in 2017 exceeded the figure of $28.50 billion.

This figure far exceeds the value of Indonesia`s exports to China in 2015 and 2016, respectively amounting to $19.81 billion and $21.25 billion.

Having an export share of 1.59 percent to China in 2017, Indonesia ranks 14th below Singapore and Vietnam.

The share of Indonesia`s exports to China in 2017 also shows an increase compared to 2015, which only stood at 1.24 percent and 2016 at 1.39 percent, according to Chinese Customs and Excise data.

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Meanwhile, Indonesia`s import from China in 2017 also increased. However, the rise in imports is not as significant as Indonesia`s export growth to China.

By 2017, Indonesia`s import value from China amounted to $34.85 billion, up 6.17 percent compared to 2016 which was only $32.83 billion.

The value of Indonesian imports from China in 2016 was recorded at $34.37 billion.

Dandy believed in 2018 the value of Indonesia`s exports to the world`s most populous country will increase, following the opening of imports of agricultural commodities from Indonesia.

This year, Indonesia again obtained permission to export mangosteen which had been stopped for two years.

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China also provides a vast opportunity for Indonesia to export palm oil and swiftlet nests.

The Trump administration raised the stakes in a growing trade showdown with China, targeting 25 percent tariffs on some 1,300 industrial technology, transport and medical products to try to force changes in Beijing`s intellectual property practices, Reuters reported. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)