InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Indonesia’s exports of animal and vegetable fats and oils, including palm oil products, reached US$29.31 billion in the first nine months of 2026, making the commodity group the country’s largest contributor to the non-oil and gas trade surplus.
Trade Minister Budi Santoso said the animal and vegetable oils category was among the three main contributors to Indonesia’s non-oil and gas trade surplus, alongside mineral fuels and iron and steel.
“The January–September 2026 non-oil and gas surplus was mainly supported by three leading commodity groups: animal and vegetable fats and oils at US$29.31 billion, mineral fuels at US$21.42 billion, and iron and steel at US$13.95 billion,” Budi said in an official statement issued by the Trade Ministry on Friday, November 6, 2026.
Indonesia’s total exports reached US$221.23 billion during January–September 2026, up 5.58% from the same period last year. Non-oil and gas exports increased 6.30%, from US$199.69 billion to US$212.27 billion.
In contrast, oil and gas exports contracted 9.11% to US$8.96 billion from US$9.86 billion.
September Exports Rise 11.87%
In September 2026, Indonesia’s total exports reached US$27.59 billion, increasing 3.68% from August and rising 11.87% year on year.
The monthly improvement was mainly driven by non-oil and gas exports, which grew 3.98%, while oil and gas exports declined 4.08%.
Animal and vegetable fats and oils (HS 15) remained Indonesia’s largest export commodity group in September, with a value of US$4.43 billion. Mineral fuels followed at US$2.99 billion, while iron and steel exports reached US$2.70 billion.
Budi said growth in national exports was also supported by the manufacturing sector. Manufacturing exports rose 4.38% month on month in September, reflecting the contribution of downstream processing to Indonesia’s export performance.
Manufacturing Dominates Export Performance
During January–September 2026, manufacturing exports reached US$182.83 billion, accounting for 82.64% of Indonesia’s total exports. The sector recorded growth of 8.93% compared with the same period last year.
China remained Indonesia’s largest non-oil and gas export destination, with shipments valued at US$54.17 billion, representing a 25.52% share. The United States ranked second at US$25.39 billion, followed by India at US$15 billion.
The strongest growth among non-oil and gas export destinations was recorded in Hong Kong at 43.69%, Egypt at 26.90%, and Thailand at 20.50%.
The figures underscore the important role of animal and vegetable oils in Indonesia’s international trade, with palm oil products remaining a major contributor to export earnings. (T2)
