JAKARTA: Trade with China in the first four months this year shows a steady promise for Indonesia, as a surplus of USD1.12 billion was recorded.
From January to April, exports from Indonesia to China reached USD22.74 billion, while imports stood at USD21.62 billion, according to the Antara news agency.
"As a result, Indonesia recorded a trade surplus of USD1.12 billion with China," Indonesian Ambassador to China Djauhari Oratmangun said on Tuesday, adding that bilateral trade between the two countries swelled 34.36 percent year on year to touch USD44.36 billion in the same period.
Processed food and beverage exports to China in the first four months however fell 23.17 percent, as it was marked at USD1.46 billion compared to USD1.90 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Djauhari attributed the drop to the General Administration of Customs China's (GACC)'s new regulation on processed food imports, which came into effect this year.
Under the new law, it is mandatory for foreign producers of processed foods and beverages to register their production facilities with the GACC before exporting their products to China.
He said the enforcement of the new regulation hindered the unloading of goods from Indonesia at several ports in China for not meeting the GACC requirements.
"The drop must motivate (us) that Indonesia's foods and beverages can be accepted and have the potential to increase their market share in China," he said.