A small 0.62 percent year-on-year (y/y) growth was detected in Indonesia’s textile exports in the first half of 2017. This modest growth was supported by a 20.4% (y/y) rise in knitwear exports. Ade Sudrajat, Chairman of the Indonesian Textile Association (API), said Indonesia’s downstream textile manufacturers were actually pleased with this result as it exceeds expectations amid bleak textile demand from various countries. Amid bleak global economic conditions many countries have reduced imports of textiles and therefore this modest growth in the first half of 2017 is actually a positive matter, one that provides a glimmer of hope that the situation will change for the textile sector. Data from API show that Indonesian textile exports to key markets have declined. Shipments to the USA fell 3.6% (y/y), to the European Union by 4.0% (y/y), and to Japan by nearly 5% (y) in the January-June 2017 period.
