02/01/2008 (ANTARA News), Jakarta - The Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) said that Indonesia`s CPO exports in November 2007 dropped drastically by 61 percent compared to that in October 2007.

"The drop in the CPO exports is caused by the grand harvest season in the September - October period, and probably also in December contracts," BPS deputy for statistics, distribution and services, Ali Rosidi, said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

According to BPS, Indonesia`s animal and vegetable fats and oil exports in November reached 719 million US dollars, and the exports in October 2007 reached 1.849 billion US dollars. CPO counted for 99 percent of the export of these commodities.

During October-November 2007, the price of CPO had been raised dramatically prompting to government to introduce a high export tax of 10 percent and to secure CPO supplies for the cooking oil industry in Indonesia.

Nevertheless, cumulatively (January-November) the exports of these commodities still increased from 5.372 billion US dollars in 2006 to 8.492 billion US dollars in 2007.

The export of those commodities also gave the biggest contribution to Indonesia`s non-oil exports, reaching 10.17 percent.

Ali said that exports also declined regarding cereals, metal ash and bronze.

"With regard to the export of the main 10 commodities, a decline is in the export of the three commodities, with CPO undergoing the sharpest drop," he said.

The decline in the export of these commodities reached 195.5 million US dollars, from 443.5 million US dollars in October 2007 to 248 million US dollars in November 2007.

The bronze exports dropped from 274.7 million US dollars in October 2007 to 263.7 million US dollars in November 2007.

BPS also disclosed that the January-November 2007 exports reached 103.07 billion US dollars, up by 13.04 percent compared to the same period in 2006. Indonesia`s nonoil exports in the same period reached 83.53 billion US dollars, up by 16.22 percent.

"And judging from the export of industrial products, the data show that the Indonesian exports had been increasing, not declining," he said.

Increase in exports took place in three sectors, namely agriculture, industry and mining, respectively by 15.43 percent, 16.63 percent, and 14.03 percent compared to the same period in 2007.

Total exports in November 2007 dropped by 4.26 percent compared to that in October 2007 namely from 10.25 billion to 9.814 billion US dollars. Nonoil exports dropped by 6.51 percent from 8.27 billion US dollars in October 2007 to 7.732 billion US dollars in November.

The greatest decline in the non-oil exports took place in animal and vegetable fats and oil (CPO), and an increase of nonoil exports took place in rubber and rubber goods namely from 504.6 million US dollars in October 2007 to 605.7 million US dollars.

Indonesia`s highest nonoil exports in November 2007 went to the Unites States 1.02 billion US dollars, Japan 924.1 million US dollars, and to Singapore 751.9 million US dollars.(*)