4/1/06 (The Jakarta Post, Jakarta)  -  Driven by high prices of global oil, metals and crude palm oil (CPO), Indonesia's exports in the period January-November 2005 rose by almost 19 percent, as compared to the same period a year earlier.

In its latest monthly report, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) announced on Monday that during that period the country posted total exports of US$77.3 billion, as against $64.9 billion in the same period last year.

The figure was already well ahead of the $69 billion of full-year exports the country posted in 2004.

Non-oil and gas exports, which account for around 77 percent of Indonesia's total income from international trade, rose 18.26 percent to $59.9 billion.

Metal exports enjoyed the highest increase, booking an almost double export value of $2.96 billion as of November 2005 as compared to $1.5 billion as of November 2004. China's booming electronics industry has prompted higher demand for these commodities that has caused steadily increasing prices.

Indonesia exports copper, nickel and tin to the global market.

Surging global prices of rubber on top of the increasing demand also contributed to the rise in Indonesia's non-oil and gas exports.

Exports of rubber and rubber products hit $3.1 billion in 2005 from $2.7 billion last year.

Meanwhile, exports of vegetable oil products, mainly crude palm oil (CPO) and its derivative, were up 10 percent, and machinery and electronics, the two largest contributors of non-oil and gas exports, were up 9 percent.

As of November 2005, exports of vegetable oil products rose to $4.4 billion as against $3.9 billion, last year while exports of electronics rose to $6.6 billion from $6.08 billion in the same period last year.

With its increase in CPO production, Indonesia is now the world's largest crude palm oil exporter, after years being ranked second after neighboring Malaysia.

Aside from increases in non-oil and gas exports, sales of oil and gas also rose by 21 percent in the same period to $17.4 billion, taking advantage of high prices for these commodities. Throughout the year, global oil prices have soared by some 40 percent.

Indonesia's economy is in dire needs of strong exports, not only to boost foreign exchange reserves, but also to boost economic activity and growth, which over the past years has been reliant upon domestic consumption and which is not being hit by high inflation.

Net exports currently makes up less than 10 percent of the nation's gross domestic products (GDP).

Indonesia's exports hit a record high last year, reaching $69.71 billion, up 11.49 percent from 2003. This was mainly attributable to strong sales of non-oil and gas commodities and goods, including palm oil, electronics goods, clothing, coal and tin.

In 2005, the country's exports have since September surpassed this amount, assuring that 2005's full-year exports will be another record high.

The country's trade balance recorded a surplus of $24.6 billion as of November 2005, with imports totaling $52.7 billion.

Consistent with a trend over the last couple of months, imports in November dropped to $4.04 billion from $4.8 billion booked in October.