Reportedly, Indonesia's export activities to India have faced no obstacles amid the spike in Covid-19 cases in destination countries. On the other hand, it is feared that the supply of goods from India to Indonesia will begin to be disrupted and face delays.

Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Export Companies (GPEI) Benny Soetrisno said that shipments of goods to India have not been affected by the increase in the Covid-19 case. Demand is also believed to remain good so that future export performance can still be maintained.

"As a result of the increase in Covid-19 cases, there has been no effect. And there is no indication of a decrease in demand either, ”said Benny.

Benny also estimates that demand from India for Indonesian goods will continue to grow despite the ongoing pandemic. He said exports to India were dominated by a number of plantation products, such as palm oil and spices.

"Demand can be maintained, no matter how large the population is," said Benny.

As with export activity, importers said they were starting to anticipate the risk of a delay in imports for April and May. Chairman of the Central Executive Board (BPP) of the Association of Indonesian National Importers (GINSI), Subandi, reported that disturbances were starting to be felt for imports of food products and several types of textile raw materials.

"There is already information on delays or delays, especially for imports of food products and textile materials. However, it is not significant and has not affected overall imports, ”said Subandi.

Even though there is a risk of late arrival, Subandi ensures that the availability of food products imported from India tends to be safe. He said the majority of importers had optimized the import of goods in March. BPS data also shows that imports from India experienced a monthly spike in the last month.

"For food products, we anticipate that there will be more stringent inspections. However, stocks for Eid are adequate and have increased since several months earlier, "he said.