Jakarta (VNA) – The food and beverage, and basic metal industries continued to make the largest contribution to Indonesia's exports in the manufacturing sector, with 13.73 billion USD and 10.87 billion USD worth of exports, respectively, during the first half of 2020.

The food and beverage industry saw a high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic as people are looking to consume nutritious food to boost their immunity, Indonesian Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said in a statement on July 23.

In the basic metal industry, the improved added value of natural resources has augmented foreign exchange revenue from exports. Moreover, this has breathed new life into the industry to absorb workers, he remarked.

With its position as the mother of industries - as its products have been used as raw materials for other sectors, such as automotive, maritime, and electronics - the basic metal industry has also served as the backbone for the country's economy.

Indonesia is encouraging the metal industry to enter the era of the fourth Industrial Revolution through the application of digital technology. This is aimed at boosting productivity and quality. The fourth Industrial Revolution is not aimed at reducing workforce but instead to improve the added value of human resources, he said.

During the period from January to June, the export value of manufacturing products had touched 60.76 billion USD, or 79.52 percent of the total exports of 76.41 billion USD./.