Indonesia's Key Export to Tunisia

Tunisia (News Today) - Palm oil remained the biggest foreign exchange earner among the Indonesian commodities exported to Tunisia in the first quarter of 2010. Indonesia’s palm oil exports to Tunisia were valued at US$8.23 million, accounting for 45.72 percent of its exports to the North African country over the period, Indonesian Ambassador to Tunisia Muhammad Ibnu Said said on Tuesday.

Data from the Tunisian Central Statistics Board show two-way trade totaled US$18.9 million in the first three months of 2010 with Indonesia enjoying a surplus of US$17.1 million. Compared to the same period last year, Indonesia’s exports to Tunisia in the January-March 2010 period rose around 18 percent.

Indonesia’s exports to Tunisia included palm oil, tobacco, fiber, metal, rubber, clothes, textiles and rubber products. The ambassador expressed hope the increase in the two-way trade in the first quarter of 2010 would continue until the end of this year.

Trade volume between the two countries fell 38 percent to US$76 million in 2009 from US$122 million a year earlier as a result of the global economic meltdown which also affected Tunisia. Quoting data from the Tunisian Central Statistics Board, Muhammad Ibnu Said said Indonesia exported 218 different commodities to Tunisia in the first three months of 2010 compared 231 last year.

Indonesian exports to Tunisia are currently subject to import duties ranging between 0 percent and 40 percent. He stated the duties were relatively high compared to 0-5 percent duties charged to similar products from other countries which had signed preferential trade agreements with Tunisia.

With the Tunisian economy recovering from the global crisis, the ambassador said Indonesia’s exports to Tunisia would hopefully return to the pre-crisis level. Indonesia’s exports to Tunisia fell 33 percent to US$67.82 million in 2009 from US$103.3 million the year before.

Source : kompas

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