By Pandu Setiabudi
Indonesia’s energy export performance—particularly in oil, gas, and coal—declined significantly in the first half (H1) of 2025, according to data released by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS). In contrast, exports of downstream products such as iron and steel, as well as nickel, showed strong growth. The update was delivered by Pudji Ismartini, Deputy for Distribution and Services Statistics at BPS, on Friday, August 1, 2025.
The cumulative export value of oil and gas in H1 2025 was recorded at US$7.03 billion, down 11.04% year-on-year (YoY) from US$7.90 billion in the same period in 2024. The decline was primarily driven by weaker performance in crude oil and natural gas exports. Crude oil exports fell to US$0.77 billion, down from US$1.14 billion in H1 2024. Natural gas exports reached US$3.7 billion, a decrease from US$4.36 billion year-on-year. In contrast, refined oil products saw a modest rise—from US$2.4 billion to US$2.52 billion.
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Coal exports (HS 2701) also faced downward pressure. Export volume in H1 2025 dropped to 184.19 million tons, a 6.33% decrease from 196.65 million tons in H1 2024. In terms of value, coal exports fell by 21.09% to US$11.97 billion, compared to US$15.17 billion during the same period last year. The sharper drop in value relative to volume was attributed to a 19.3% YoY decline in global coal prices as of June 2025.
In contrast, downstream industrial exports showed solid performance. The export value of iron and steel (HS 72) in H1 2025 rose to US$13.79 billion, up 9.79% from US$12.56 billion in H1 2024. Export volume also increased from 10.29 million tons to 11.30 million tons, marking a 9.84% YoY rise.
Nickel and its derivative products (HS 75) also posted positive growth. Export value climbed 13.86%, from US$3.54 billion in H1 2024 to US$4.03 billion in H1 2025.
China remained the primary export destination for both commodity groups. Exports of iron and steel to China amounted to US$9.01 billion, representing 65% of total exports in that category. Nickel and its derivatives shipped to China reached US$3.26 billion, or 81% of the total.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak
