JAKNEWS.COM---Indonesian exports probably bounced back in March, after dropping slightly in February, helped by stronger oil and gas prices, economists said.

Exports stood at $10.53 billion in February, down 5 percent from the all-time high of $11.09 billion hit in January, but were up 28.5 percent from a year before.

Eight out of 10 economists polled by Thomson Financial are expecting exports in March to come in between $10.66 billion and $11.62 billion. Two economists expect lower exports in the month of between $10.36 billion to $10.48 billion compared to February.

"External demand especially from the United States remained strong in March," said Damhuri Nasution, an economist with Danareksa Research Institute.

He said the slowdown in external demand was not as fast as people may have feared.

Nasution also said the contraction in February was attributable to shortened working days.

Alexander Eric Sugandi, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank, said stronger oil and gas prices in March also underpinned exports.

But Danamon economist Anton Gunawan disagreed.

He said exports may have contracted slightly from February because external demand eased further.

"Oil prices increased slightly (by 1.3 percent month-on-month) but prices of key export commodities such as crude palm oil (CPO), rubber and coal declined during the month," he said.

On an annual basis exports probably grew 15.4 percent in March to $10.46 billion, he said.

The Central Bureau of Statistics will release the trade data on Friday.
 

nant/JAK01