Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – Exports of wood products and their derivatives have demonstrated resilience amid global uncertainty caused by geopolitical conflicts in various regions.
According to data from the Ministry of Forestry, processed by the Indonesian Forestry Entrepreneurs Association (APHI), forestry product exports in 2024 reached $12.73 billion USD. This is only slightly below the 2023 achievement of $12.75 billion USD.
The performance of forestry product exports in 2024 showed a bleak outlook earlier in the year, with a 14.5% month-to-month (mtm) drop in January 2024. However, exports gradually recovered and continued to grow. By the end of December 2024, the difference in export performance between 2024 and 2023 was only -0.2%.
According to records by the Enviro News Asia editorial team, the Ministry of Trade is committed to continuing to boost the export performance of various types of non-oil and gas products, including agricultural and forestry products.
These two product categories are Indonesia’s main exports after mineral fuels, animal and vegetable oils and fats, iron and steel, metal ores, and footwear.
The Ministry of Trade has implemented various strategic measures, including policy relaxation for these products. For wood products such as S4S (surfaced on four sides), E2E (eased two edges), and E4 (eased four edges), a relaxation on cross-sectional dimensions was introduced for the period July 15, 2023–July 14, 2024. The exportable maximum cross-section was increased from 10,000 mm² to 15,000 mm². Additionally, subsidies were provided for the cost of obtaining Surveyor Reports (LS), particularly for small and micro enterprises (SMEs).
The primary export destinations for Indonesian forestry industry products are China, the United States, India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Australia, Vietnam, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Efforts to enhance export performance to these key markets are being carried out diligently, effectively, and systematically. Expanding access to major markets is essential and is being pursued through strengthened facilitation and export information. These efforts include export promotions, business matching activities, and trade strengthening in target export countries.
In addition to these primary markets, Indonesia’s forestry products are also exported to the Middle East and several African countries. These markets demonstrate stable demand, particularly for tropical wood products with legality certification, such as SVLK (Timber Legality Assurance System), which Indonesia possesses.
