Indonesia is likely to see a record trade deficit of 5 billion USD this year, more than double the figure of 1.65 billion USD last year, if bleak export outlook continues.
In the first five months of 2013, Indonesia’s trade deficit hit 2.53 billion USD when it exported 76.25 billion USD and imported 78.78 billion USD worth of commodities.
A slowdown in China, the country’s biggest trading partner, is one of the main reasons that affect Indonesia's trade balance, Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan said.
As of present, non-oil and gas exports to China have dropped by 3.67 percent from 2012 to 8.56 billion USD. At present, China , along with India , is among the biggest buyers of Indonesia ’s primary commodities, such as palm oil and coal.-VNA
