PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – Indonesia’s export performance in the January–February 2026 period recorded a positive trend, growing by 2.19% compared to the same period last year. The increase was primarily driven by the manufacturing sector, including crude palm oil (CPO) and its derivatives.
Data from Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS), released in early April 2026, showed total export value reaching US$44.32 billion, up from US$43.37 billion in the same period last year. Meanwhile, non-oil and gas exports rose by 2.82% to US$42.35 billion.
According to BPS, the growth in total exports was largely supported by the manufacturing sector, which contributed a 5.36% increase. This sector continues to be the backbone of Indonesia’s export structure.
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CPO and Derivatives Post Strong Growth
One of the standout performers came from Indonesia’s leading non-oil commodity—CPO and its derivatives. Export value for this segment surged by 26.40% in the January–February period, reaching US$4.69 billion, compared to US$3.71 billion in the same period last year.
In terms of volume, CPO exports also recorded a significant jump, rising 36.26% from 3.33 million tons to 4.54 million tons.
This robust performance pushed the contribution of CPO and its derivatives to 11.07% of total non-oil exports during the first two months of 2026.
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Manufacturing Sector Remains the Main Driver
From a sectoral perspective, non-oil export growth was largely fueled by the manufacturing industry, which expanded by 6.69% cumulatively during January–February 2026. On a year-on-year basis in February alone, the sector grew 5.24%, contributing 4.21% to overall export growth.
In contrast, the mining sector and the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector recorded contractions of 16.34% and 25.99% respectively over the same period.
BPS emphasized that the increase in non-oil export value was mainly driven by the manufacturing sector.
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In terms of destination markets, Indonesia’s non-oil exports to China rose significantly from US$8.84 billion to US$10.46 billion. Exports to the United States and India also showed an upward trend.
However, exports to ASEAN and the European Union experienced slight declines, reflecting ongoing fluctuations in global demand.
Coal Weakens, Palm Oil Gains Ground
Unlike palm oil, coal exports saw a notable decline. Export value dropped by 18.21%, from US$4.25 billion to US$3.48 billion, in line with a 7.90% decrease in export volume.
Meanwhile, iron and steel exports posted modest growth of 1.53%.
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This divergence highlights the increasingly strategic role of palm oil as a key pillar of Indonesia’s non-oil exports, especially amid weakening performance in other major commodities.
With this trend, the palm oil sector is expected to remain a critical backbone of Indonesia’s export performance, helping sustain the trade balance amid ongoing global economic uncertainty. (P2)
