China becomes Indonesia's main export market for coconuts

In January-February 2025, the export value of Indonesian shelled coconut amounted to $30.8 million (about Rp 5.17 trillion), with 71,077 tons exported, with the main export destinations being China and Vietnam. Among them, exports of shelled coconut to China amounted to 68,065 tons, valued at $29.5 million, while exports to Vietnam amounted to 2,180 tons, Thailand 550 tons, and Malaysia 280 tons. In the past four years, Indonesia's export volume of shelled coconut fluctuated. 431,841 tons in 2021, fell to 288,286 tons in 2022, rebounded to 380,883 tons in 2023, and reached 431,915 tons in 2024, slightly higher than in 2021. Indonesian coconut prices have risen sharply recently, such as the price of shaved coconut shreds from about 10,000 rupiah to 25,000 rupiah each. Traders say it is due to supply competition, a large number of coconuts exported to China; the Minister of Trade said that the limited domestic supply of shelled coconuts is due to the high demand for exports, which led to the price increase in the domestic market, up to 50%. In order to stabilize the domestic supply of coconuts, the Ministry of Industry proposes to temporarily suspend or delay the export of shelled coconuts (to implement a ban on the export of 3-6 months), arguing that the need to formulate a policy on the management of coconuts as soon as possible, because the shortage of raw material has affected industrial activities and employment.