Indonesia’s exports of crude palm oil (CPO) and its derivatives rose significantly to $4.69 billion in the first two months of 2026, up from $3.71 billion during the same period last year.

Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman attributed the growth to the nation’s aggressive "downstreaming" strategy, which prioritizes domestic processing over the export of raw materials.

“We control more than 60 per cent of the global market, making Indonesia a decisive player. We must continue to accelerate downstreaming,” Sulaiman said as quoted by Indonesian news agency (ANTARA).

The Minister emphasised that the government is strengthening the production and marketing ecosystem to increase the added value of palm oil.

By processing CPO into high-value commodities such as margarine, cosmetics, and other industrial derivatives, Sulaiman believes the global market will become increasingly reliant on Indonesian supply, further stabilizing the national economy.

Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) confirms a 26.40 per cent increase in the export value of CPO and its derivatives for the January-February 2026 period.

Export volumes also saw a sharp rise, climbing from 3.33 million tonnes in early 2025 to 4.54 million tonnes in the same period this year. This surge has been a primary driver for Indonesia’s overall trade performance.