Indonesian exports continued to record positive growth at the start of the year amidst global uncertainty. Their value reached US$44.32 billion from January to February 2026, a 2.19% increase compared to the same period last year.
Mohammad Faisal, Executive Director of the Center of Reform on Economics (CORE) Indonesia, stated that several commodities driving Indonesia’s export growth include nickel and its derivatives, as well as crude palm oil (CPO).
“Nickel exports are very high at 55.9%, CPO at 28.8%. There’s also automotive exports, with vehicles also seeing a significant increase of 26.15%, and machinery at 13%,” Faisal told detikcom.
Despite global geopolitical conflicts impacting export performance, Faisal stated that the projected sharp increase in coal and CPO exports will act as a buffer against the overall export slowdown.
“So I think we have global pressure that is slowing exports, especially in manufacturing. But for commodity exports, we are experiencing a windfall from rising prices. So, the price factor is influencing it. So, volume will decrease, but prices will rise,” he added.
Bank Permata Chief Economist Josua Pardede also said that rising prices for key commodities, particularly energy, coal, and palm oil, will help support Indonesia’s export value.
“Although exports are still expected to decline slightly by -0.09% year-on-year due to the Eid al-Fitr holiday,” said Josua.
According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Indonesia’s non-oil and gas exports rose 2.82% to US$42.35 billion. Indonesia’s top three export destinations were China, the United States, and India, contributing approximately 43.85% of Indonesia’s total non-oil and gas exports in January-February 2026.
Indonesia’s largest non-oil and gas commodity exports went to China, reaching US$10.46 billion (24.69%) in the January-February 2026 period. The commodities were dominated by iron and steel, nickel and its products, and mineral fuels.
This was followed by exports to the United States, amounting to US$5 billion (11.81%), dominated by electrical machinery and equipment and parts, footwear, clothing, and accessories (knitted). Exports to India also reached US$3.11 billion (7.35%).
The three provinces that contributed the most to national exports in January-February 2026 were West Java at US$6.45 billion (14.56%), Central Sulawesi at US$4.03 billion (9.10%), and the Riau Islands at US$3.85 billion (8.69%). These three provinces contributed up to 32.35% of total national exports.
