March 13, 2026 | 07:48 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Trade, Budi Santoso, said that the conflict between the U.S. and Israel against Iran does not affect exports to the Middle East. "There are some influences, especially towards the Middle East. But actually, the demand from the Middle East does not decrease," said Budi Santoso at Graha Mandiri, Jakarta, on Friday, March 13, 2026.
Budi Santoso made the statement to explain something to the members of the Indonesian Export Companies Association (GPEI) during their meeting with the Minister of Trade.
Although not experiencing a decrease in demand, Budi Santoso said that exporters complained about increased logistics costs due to escalating geopolitical tensions. "That's the problem, but (the entrepreneurs) still export," he said.
Deputy for Distribution Statistics and Services Ateng Hartono of Statistics Indonesia (BPS), said that the impact of the conflict in Iran on Indonesia's trade with Middle Eastern countries still needs to be assessed. However, as an illustration, there are three Indonesian trading partner countries in the Strait of Hormuz, namely Iran, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.
Ateng said that in 2025, the value of non-oil and gas imports from Iran to Indonesia reached $8.4 million. "Consisting of fruits at US$5.9 million; iron and steel at US$0.8 million; and machinery and mechanical equipment and parts at US$0.7 million," he said in a press conference at the BPS office, Jakarta, on Monday, March 2, 2026.
Meanwhile, non-oil and gas exports from Indonesia to Iran in 2025 amounted to US$249.1 million. These exports consist of fruits at US$86.4 million; vehicles and their parts at US$34.1 million; and fats and vegetable oils at US$22 million.
Furthermore, between Indonesia and Oman, the value of non-oil and gas imports in 2025 reached US$718.8 million. These imports consist of iron and steel at US$590.5 million; organic fuel at US$56.7 million; and salt, sulfur, stone, and cement at US$44.2 million. The value of non-oil and gas exports to Oman reached US$428.8 million. These exports consist of fats and vegetable oils at US$227.7 million; vehicles and their parts at US$64.2 million; and mineral fuel at US$48.1 million.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's imports from the United Arab Emirates reached US$1.4 billion. The exports consist of precious metals and jewelry at US$511.1 million; salt, sulfur, stone, and cement at US$43.2 million; and aluminum and its derivatives at US$181.6 million.
Meanwhile, non-oil and gas exports to the United Arab Emirates in 2025 amounted to US$4.0 billion. Some of the commodities exported are precious metals and jewelry at US$183.6 million; fats and vegetable oils at US$510.3 million; and vehicles and their parts at US$363.5 million.
The Strait of Hormuz is a vital trade route in the world. This route accounts for about 20 percent of the world's oil consumption and 20-25 percent of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) trading. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz occurred after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday, February 28, 2026.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran on Sunday, March 1, 2026, claimed to have attacked three American and British tanker ships in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz using missiles until they caught fire. In a statement on the IRGC's official news outlet, Sepah News, the Iranian military guard also claimed to have targeted U.S. military installations in Kuwait and Bahrain, as reported by Zi and quoted by Antara.
Anastasya Lavenia contributed to this article
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