Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia's imports of coffee had grown last month despite being a producer of the highly popular beverage, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

Indonesia imported approximately $32.07 million in March 2024, posting a double-digit growth compared to the previous month. Indonesia mainly imported its coffee from Vietnam and Brazil. Despite the increasing imports, exports of Indonesian coffee still beat what the country purchased from other nations.

"Our coffee imports saw an 18.04 percent month-over-month growth in March. ... But we exported approximately $87.45 million worth of coffee. So I would say that Indonesia is witnessing a surplus in its coffee trade over the said period," Amalia A Widyasanti, the acting head of BPS, told reporters in Jakarta on Monday.

This puts Indonesia's coffee trade surplus to a total of approximately $55.38 million last month.

Indonesia is among the world's largest coffee producers, alongside Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia. BPS data showed that Indonesia produced 774,960 tons of coffee in 2022, down 1.43 percent compared to 786,190 tons in the previous year.

In March 2024, Indonesia saw its surplus surging to $4.47 billion. This marks the 47th consecutive month for Indonesia to enjoy a surplus since May 2020.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/business/indonesias-coffee-imports-increase-18-pc