Indonesian exports defy pandemic downturn

Jakarta: Indonesian President Joko Widodo has declared the new coronavirus outbreak in the world's fourth most populous country a "non-natural national disaster".

The presidential decree opens the door for international co-operation and humanitarian assistance.

The decree was issued as the government reported 60 new deaths on Tuesday. It's the biggest daily fatalities yet, taking the total virus death toll to 459, the highest in Asia after China. There have been 282 new cases among 4839 positive tests, a relatively low number considering its population of 270 million.

A police officer asks a man on a scooter to wear a face mask during the imposition of large-scale social restrictions in Jakarta, Indonesia.Credit: AP

Some regions with a high number of infections have enforced stricter social restrictions. They are following guidelines adopted in the capital Jakarta, which has become the nation's centre of the outbreak, recording 2335 cases with 241 deaths.

Meanwhile, the country has posted a $US740 million ($1.1 billion) trade surplus in March, as exports and imports fell only slightly despite global trade disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, data from the statistics bureau showed.

A worker carries a sack of rice while loading a truck at a grain market in Jakarta, Indonesia.Credit: Bloomberg

Exports dropped 0.20 per cent year-on-year to $US14.09 billion, with shipments of agricultural products and some manufacturing goods still registering growth. A Reuters poll had forecast a 6.73 per cent fall.

March imports fell just 0.75 per cent to $US13.35 billion, compared with the poll's projected 7.88 per cent drop.

Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a $US760 million surplus.

AP, Reuters