From a continental perspective, almost three-quarters (72%) of Indonesian exports by value were delivered to fellow Asian countries. Another 11.3% were sold to North American importers closely trailed by European customers at 10.6%. Smaller percentages were shipped to Africa (2.6%), Australia and other Oceania importers (2%) then Latin America (1.5%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.
Given Indonesia’s population of 262.8 million people, its total $180.2 billion in 2018 exports translates to roughly $700 for every resident in the Asian nation.
In macroeconomic terms, Indonesia’s total exported goods represent 5.2% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2018 ($3.495 trillion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 5.2% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2018 compares to 6.7% for 2014, seeming to indicate a relatively decreasing reliance on products sold on international markets for Indonesia’s total economic performance. And while this article focuses on exported goods, it is interesting to note that Indonesia also provided $27.9 billion worth of exports-related services to global customers for an additional 0.8% of GDP in PPP.
Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its unemployment rate. Indonesia’s unemployment rate was 5.01% at March 2019 down from 5.13% as of January 2018, according to Trading Economics.
Indonesia’s Top 10 Exports
Top 10
The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Indonesian global shipments during 2018. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Indonesia.
- Mineral fuels including oil: US$42 billion (23.3% of total exports)
- Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: $20.3 billion (11.3%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $8.9 billion (4.9%)
- Vehicles: $7.6 billion (4.2%)
- Rubber, rubber articles: $6.4 billion (3.5%)
- Machinery including computers: $5.9 billion (3.3%)
- Iron, steel: $5.8 billion (3.2%)
- Gems, precious metals: $5.6 billion (3.1%)
- Ores, slag, ash: $5.3 billion (2.9%)
- Footwear: $5.1 billion (2.8%)
Indonesia’s top 10 exports approached two-thirds (62.6%) of Indonesia’s total exports.
Up by 71.7% from 2017 to 2018, iron and steel posted the fastest growth among the top 10 export categories.
In second place for improving export sales were ores, slag and ash which in value by 39.4%.
Mineral fuels including oil generated the third-fastest gain in value via a 14% year-over-year improvement led by coal, petroleum gas, lignite and refined petroleum oils. International sales of exported vehicles from Indonesia expanded by 10.5%.
Three top product categories declined namely rubber including items made from rubber (down -17.6%), animal or vegetable fats, oils and waxes (down -11.4%) then the machinery including computers category (down -0.1%).
Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. For a more granular view of exported goods at the four-digit HTS code level, see the section Searchable List of Indonesia’s Most Valuable Export Products below.
Advantages
The following types of Indonesian product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.
In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.
- Mineral fuels including oil: $10.4 billion (Up by 17.5%)
- Ores, slag, ash: $4.7 billion (Up by 69.9%)
- Footwear: $4.4 billion (Up by 0.3%)
- Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $4.1 billion (Up by 5.2%)
- Rubber, rubber articles: $4 billion (Down by -30.4%)
- Wood: $4 billion (Up by 14.1%)
- Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: $3.7 billion (Up by 5.5%)
- Gems, precious metals: $3.3 billion (Down by -27.1%)
- Fish: $3 billion (Up by 0.9%)
Indonesia has highly positive net exports in the international trade of coal and crude oil. In turn, these cashflows indicate Indonesia’s strong competitive advantages under mineral fuels-related products category.
Opportunities
Overall Indonesia went from an $11.4 billion trade surplus during 2017 to incur a -$8.5 billion trade deficit for 2018.
Below are exports from Indonesia that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Indonesia’s goods trail Indonesian importer spending on foreign products.
- Machinery including computers: -US$21.3 billion (Up by 50.7% since 2017)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: -$12.6 billion (Up by 58.7%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: -$6.6 billion (Up by 32.1%)
- Iron, steel: -$4.5 billion (Down by -12%)
- Organic chemicals: -$4 billion (Up by 50%)
- Cereals: -$3.7 billion (Down by -6%)
- Articles of iron or steel: -$2.6 billion (Up by 79.3%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: -$2.3 billion (Up by 30.9%)
- Food industry waste, animal fodder: -$2.3 billion (Down by -3.2%)
- Sugar, sugar confectionery: -$1.9 billion (Down by -22.8%)
Indonesia has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits for machinery, particularly computers.
Companies
Indonesian Export Companies
Nine Indonesian corporations rank among Forbes Global 2000. Below is a sample of the major Indonesian conglomerates that Forbes included:
- Gudang Garam (Tobacco)
- Semen Indonesia (Construction Materials)
- Telekom Indonesia (Telecommunications services)
Wikipedia also lists exporters from Indonesia. Selected examples are shown below:
- Astra International (financial/industrial conglomerate)
- Bumi Resources (coal)
- Djarum (tobacco cigarettes)
- Dragon Computer & Communication (computer hardware)
- Krakatau Steel (steel products)
- MedcoEnergi (oil, gas)
- Pertamina (oil, natural gas)
- United Tractors (heavy equipment)
Searchable List of Indonesia’s Most Valuable Export Products
At the more granular four-digit HTS code level, Indonesia’s top export products are palm oil an coal followed by petroleum gases, crude oil, natural rubber and copper then cars.
The following searchable table displays 200 of the most in-demand goods shipped from Indonesia during 2017. Shown beside each product label is its total export value then the percentage increase or decrease since 2016.
| Rank | Indonesia's Export Product | 2018 Value (US$) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coal, solid fuels made from coal | $20.6 billion | +15.5% |
| 2 | Palm oil | $16.5 billion | -10.7% |
| 3 | Petroleum gases | $10.6 billion | +20.2% |
| 4 | Crude oil | $5.1 billion | -2.2% |
| 5 | Copper ores, concentrates | $4.2 billion | +21.7% |
| 6 | Natural rubber | $4 billion | -22.6% |
| 7 | Lignite | $3.3 billion | +28.3% |
| 8 | Cars | $3.3 billion | +5.8% |
| 9 | Industrial fatty acids and alcohols | $3 billion | -0.3% |
| 10 | Footwear (leather) | $2.7 billion | +5.2% |
| 11 | Chemical woodpulp (non-dissolving) | $2.5 billion | +10.1% |
| 12 | Coconut/palm/babassu oil | $2.4 billion | -19.9% |
| 13 | Uncoated paper for writing/printing | $2.4 billion | +16% |
| 14 | Flat-rolled stainless steel items | $2.3 billion | +299.6% |
| 15 | Automobile parts/accessories | $2.2 billion | +5.4% |
| 16 | Laminated wood (including plywood, veneer panels) | $2.1 billion | +21.6% |
| 17 | Gold (unwrought) | $2 billion | +7.2% |
| 18 | Jewelry | $2 billion | -23.5% |
| 19 | Footwear (textile) | $1.8 billion | +5.4% |
| 20 | Rubber tires (new) | $1.6 billion | +2.6% |
| 21 | Crustaceans (including lobsters) | $1.6 billion | -6.8% |
| 22 | Tin (unwrought) | $1.5 billion | -3% |
| 23 | Printing machinery | $1.5 billion | -8.8% |
| 24 | Insulated wire/cable | $1.4 billion | +12.3% |
| 25 | Precious metal waste, scrap | $1.4 billion | +52.6% |
| 26 | Iron ferroalloys | $1.4 billion | +2.1% |
| 27 | Miscellaneous furniture | $1.1 billion | +0.7% |
| 28 | Motorcycles | $1.1 billion | +48.2% |
| 29 | Women's clothing (not knit or crochet) | $1.1 billion | +10.5% |
| 30 | Biodiesel | $1 billion | +726.7% |
| 31 | Refined copper, unwrought alloys | $1 billion | -6.1% |
| 32 | Jerseys, pullovers (knit or crochet) | $976.3 million | +10.6% |
| 33 | TV receivers/monitors/projectors | $966.8 million | +7.7% |
| 34 | Cigars/cigarellos, cigarettes | $931.6 million | +3% |
| 35 | Processed petroleum oils | $919.8 million | +1.2% |
| 36 | Women's clothing (knit or crochet) | $867 million | +15.6% |
| 37 | Synthetic staple fibers yarn (retail sale) | $856.8 million | +5.2% |
| 38 | Margarine | $856.7 million | -5.7% |
| 39 | Cocoa butter, fat, oil | $824 million | +21% |
| 40 | Stainless steel ingots | $821.6 million | +93.1% |
| 41 | Coffee | $817.8 million | -31.1% |
| 42 | Men's suits, trousers (not knit or crochet) | $813.3 million | +12.3% |
| 43 | Nickel matte, oxide sinters | $776.9 million | +23.4% |
| 44 | Acyclic alcohols | $739.2 million | +36.2% |
| 45 | Shaped wood | $705.8 million | +3.4% |
| 46 | Crustaceans, molluscs (preserved/prepared) | $701.4 million | +33.6% |
| 47 | Petroleum oil residues | $701.4 million | -2.4% |
| 48 | Women's shirts (not knit or crochet) | $685.3 million | +12.3% |
| 49 | Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries | $671.8 million | +3.8% |
| 50 | Miscellaneous oil cakes | $662 million | +36.6% |
| 51 | Motorcycle parts/accessories | $655.5 million | +9.4% |
| 52 | Organic surface-active goods, soap | $650.6 million | -3.9% |
| 53 | Household/sanitary rolls | $629.7 million | +19.1% |
| 54 | Nickel ores, concentrates | $628 million | +304.7% |
| 55 | Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation) | $624.5 million | -6% |
| 56 | Phone system devices | $615.6 million | +141.1% |
| 57 | Coffee/tea extracts, concentrates | $575.9 million | +20% |
| 58 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $564.5 million | +1.4% |
| 59 | Moluscs | $560.3 million | +39.8% |
| 60 | Electrical capacitators | $553.4 million | +2.3% |
| 61 | T-shirts, vests (knit or crochet) | $552.4 million | +4.4% |
| 62 | Seats (excluding barber/dentist chairs) | $546.5 million | +12.6% |
| 63 | Footwear (rubber or plastic) | $521.2 million | -3.4% |
| 64 | Fish fillets, pieces | $518.1 million | +16.2% |
| 65 | Copper wire | $515 million | -8% |
| 66 | Yarn (85%+ cotton) | $505.3 million | +1.1% |
| 67 | Cases, handbags, wallets | $500.1 million | +37.7% |
| 68 | Primary batteries/cells | $499.7 million | -1.4% |
| 69 | Synthetic staple fibers yarn (not retail sale) | $498.8 million | -1.4% |
| 70 | Men's shirts (not knit or crochet) | $476.9 million | +9.1% |
| 71 | Iron or steel tubes, pipes | $471.3 million | +100.6% |
| 72 | Lower-voltage switches, fuses | $463.5 million | -7.0% |
| 73 | Polyacetal/ether/carbonates | $461 million | +20.1% |
| 74 | Aluminum oxide/hydroxide | $459.3 million | +38.7% |
| 75 | Fish, caviar (preserved/prepared) | $456.1 million | +12.4% |
| 76 | Iron or non-alloy steel products (semi-finished) | $456 million | +40.6% |
| 77 | Ammonia | $451.6 million | +49.9% |
| 78 | Piston engines | $450.4 million | +13.5% |
| 79 | Wood carpentry, builders' joinery | $441.4 million | +11.9% |
| 80 | Men's coats, jackets (not knit or crochet) | $434 million | +1.2% |
| 81 | Synthetic yarn woven fabrics | $430 million | -16.6% |
| 82 | Coconuts, Brazil nuts, cashews | $429.6 million | -22.6% |
| 83 | Medication mixes in dosage | $428 million | -2.3% |
| 84 | Piston engine parts | $426.2 million | +5.1% |
| 85 | Hot-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products | $425.5 million | +56.7% |
| 86 | Amino-compounds (oxygen) | $422.6 million | +1.3% |
| 87 | Synthetic filament yarn | $422.5 million | +1% |
| 88 | Other food preparations | $422.2 million | +10.4% |
| 89 | Wigs, false beards, eyelashes | $420.7 million | -3.8% |
| 90 | Machinery parts | $416.2 million | +61% |
| 91 | Miscellaneous wooden articles | $396.1 million | -24.6% |
| 92 | Integrated circuits/microassemblies | $394.9 million | +9.3% |
| 93 | Saturated acyclic mono acids | $394.6 million | -33.1% |
| 94 | Refrigerators, freezers | $387 million | +12.7% |
| 95 | Electrical converters/power units | $386.9 million | -22.3% |
| 96 | Men's suits,trousers (knit or crochet) | $383.8 million | +17.2% |
| 97 | Uncoated paper | $382.7 million | +67.6% |
| 98 | Bras, corsets (not knit or crochet) | $382.3 million | -0.4% |
| 99 | Whole fish (frozen) | $381.2 million | -19.1% |
| 100 | Models, puzzles, miscellaneous toys | $374.8 million | +10.8% |
| 101 | Plastic packing goods, lids, caps | $351.2 million | +2.8% |
| 102 | Nitrogenous fertilizers | $337.8 million | +68.7% |
| 103 | Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers) | $336.8 million | +45.8% |
| 104 | Computer parts, accessories | $322.2 million | +12.4% |
| 105 | Uncombed artificial staple fibres | $321 million | +3.4% |
| 106 | Coated paper | $317.4 million | -8.1% |
| 107 | Miscellaneous nuts | $315.8 million | -5.8% |
| 108 | Acyclic hydrocarbons | $314.4 million | -20.5% |
| 109 | Other organic cleaning preparations | $307.1 million | +4.3% |
| 110 | Wood charcoal | $297.8 million | +23.4% |
| 111 | Microphones/headphones/amps | $296 million | -2.9% |
| 112 | #N/A | $291.3 million | +3.8% |
| 113 | Packaged insecticides/fungicides/herbicides | $284.7 million | -3.3% |
| 114 | Animal/vegetable hydrogenated fats, oils | $283.3 million | -10.3% |
| 115 | Electrical musical instruments | $282.9 million | +12.2% |
| 116 | Computers, optical readers | $278.5 million | -10.5% |
| 117 | Clothing, accessories (vulcanized rubber) | $276 million | +6.1% |
| 118 | Copper waste, scrap | $275.7 million | -16.9% |
| 119 | Electric water heaters, hair dryers | $266.7 million | +5.3% |
| 120 | Aluminum ores, concentrates | $263.6 million | +299.3% |
| 121 | Electric storage batteries | $260.6 million | +6.2% |
| 122 | Pasta, couscous | $258.6 million | +12.7% |
| 123 | Hydraulic cements | $237.8 million | +83.7% |
| 124 | Synthetic staple fibers not for spinning | $234 million | +45.1% |
| 125 | Electric sound/visual signal bells or alarms | $233 million | +25.3% |
| 126 | Aluminum plates, sheets, strips | $228.4 million | +23.7% |
| 127 | Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels | $227.7 million | +14% |
| 128 | Air or vacuum pumps | $223.3 million | -15.4% |
| 129 | Electric motors, generators | $220.5 million | -9.2% |
| 130 | Synthetic rubber | $219.3 million | -54.8% |
| 131 | Vinyl chloride polymers | $219 million | +4.2% |
| 132 | Locust beans | $215.4 million | +30.4% |
| 133 | Chemical industry products/residuals | $208.8 million | +106.7% |
| 134 | Solar power diodes/semi-conductors | $208.6 million | -8.2% |
| 135 | Essential oils | $199.3 million | +24.3% |
| 136 | Centrifuges, filters and purifiers | $197.9 million | +15.1% |
| 137 | Hydrocarbon derivatives | $196.7 million | +8.8% |
| 138 | Miscellaneous preserved fruits | $196.3 million | -15.8% |
| 139 | Aluminum (unwrought) | $194.1 million | +37.5% |
| 140 | Infant clothing (knit or crochet) | $193 million | -1.9% |
| 141 | Electrical lighting/signaling equpment, defrosters | $189.9 million | +9.3% |
| 142 | Ball, roller bearings | $186.4 million | +2.3% |
| 143 | TV/radio/radar device parts | $183.7 million | -20.4% |
| 144 | Electric shavers, hair clippers, hair removers | $181.4 million | +19.3% |
| 145 | Synthetic organic coloring | $181.4 million | +3.2% |
| 146 | Tracksuits, swimwear (not knit or crochet) | $179.1 million | +5.8% |
| 147 | TV receiver/transmit/digital cameras | $177.4 million | -12.3% |
| 148 | Print/write/draw inks | $175.2 million | +5.6% |
| 149 | Cyclic hydrocarbons | $174.2 million | -16.7% |
| 150 | Unmanufactured tobacco, tobacco waste | $169.1 million | +27.7% |
| 151 | Transmission shafts, gears, clutches | $166.2 million | -2.4% |
| 152 | Women's underwear, pajamas (knit or crochet) | $165 million | +16% |
| 153 | Scents used for beverage or industrial manufacturing | $164.2 million | +2.8% |
| 154 | Glycerol (glycerine) | $162.5 million | +103.8% |
| 155 | Miscellaneous vegetable goods | $160.2 million | +12.3% |
| 156 | Electro-medical equip (e.g. xrays) | $159.2 million | +3.5% |
| 157 | Telecommunication receivers | $157.9 million | -17.9% |
| 158 | Pepper (dried/crushed/ground) | $156.8 million | -35.8% |
| 159 | Cocoa paste | $156.6 million | -17.6% |
| 160 | Women's coats, jackets (not knit or crochet) | $155.3 million | +57.9% |
| 161 | Perfumes, toilet waters | $152.5 million | +14.2% |
| 162 | Sauces, mixed condiments, seasonings | $147.5 million | +19.8% |
| 163 | Women's shirts excluding T-shirts | $147.3 million | -5.6% |
| 164 | Float/ground/polished glass in sheets | $146.6 million | +0.2% |
| 165 | Cocoa powder (no added sugar) | $146.1 million | -4% |
| 166 | Miscellaneous iron and steel structures | $144.7 million | -5.8% |
| 167 | Tracksuits, swimwear (knit or crochet) | $143.8 million | -5.8% |
| 168 | Cinnamon | $141.4 million | -4.5% |
| 169 | Registers, notebooks, receipt books | $140.2 million | +6.8% |
| 170 | Sugar confectionery (no cocoa) | $138.5 million | +10.9% |
| 171 | Stockings, hosiery (knit or crochet) | $136.2 million | +3.3% |
| 172 | Electrical machinery | $136.1 million | +13.6% |
| 173 | Aluminum bars/rods | $135 million | +59.8% |
| 174 | Beauty/makeup/skin care preparations | $134.1 million | +3.8% |
| 175 | Men's coats, capes, jackets | $132.9 million | +18.1% |
| 176 | Paper containers, cellulose wadding | $132.4 million | +15.5% |
| 177 | Sanitary towels, baby napkins/liners | $132.3 million | +31% |
| 178 | Acrylic polymers | $131.2 million | +0.6% |
| 179 | Miscellaneous plastic items | $130.5 million | +8.9% |
| 180 | Iron and steel stranded wire, cables (uninsulated) | $129.9 million | +16.5% |
| 181 | Vulcanized rubber items | $129.6 million | +4.1% |
| 182 | Nutmeg, mace, cardamoms | $128.2 million | +6.5% |
| 183 | Pianos, keyboard stringed instruments | $127.2 million | -4.1% |
| 184 | Lab ceramic wares | $126.5 million | +5.1% |
| 185 | Insoles, heel cushions | $126 million | -1.2% |
| 186 | Ethylene polymers | $121.9 million | +32.3% |
| 187 | Men's shirts (knit or crochet) | $120.3 million | -5.5% |
| 188 | Optical fiber cables, sheets, plates | $118.9 million | -10.8% |
| 189 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $115.7 million | +2.5% |
| 190 | Video recording equipment | $115.7 million | -42.5% |
| 191 | Heterocyclics, nucleic acids | $115.6 million | -15.2% |
| 192 | Veneer sheets, sheets for sawn wood | $113.4 million | +48.1% |
| 193 | Electric ignition/start equipment | $112.4 million | -6.6% |
| 194 | Tissues, napkins, toilet paper | $110.7 million | +16.3% |
| 195 | Polycarboxylic acids | $110.4 million | -6.1% |
| 196 | Sort/screen/washing machinery | $109.8 million | +9.3% |
| 197 | Copper bars, rods | $109.2 million | +64.4% |
| 198 | Tea (including flavored) | $108.4 million | -5.1% |
| 199 | Nylon cord fabric | $107.7 million | +23% |
| 200 | Unsaturated acyclic mono acids | $106.8 million | -24% |
These 200 exported goods were worth a subtotal of US$164.8 billion or 91.4% by value for all products exported from Indonesia during 2018.
Indonesia’s capital city is Jakarta.
See also Indonesia’s Top Trading Partners, Indonesia’s Top 10 Imports, Top Asian Export Countries and Coal Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on March 16, 2019
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on June 28, 2019
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on March 16, 2019
Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on June 28, 2019
Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on June 28, 2019
Wikipedia, List of Companies of Indonesia. Accessed on March 16, 2019
Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on June 28, 2019