Manokwari Customs: Export Volume Fell 38.68% in May

MANOKWARI — Export volume in the working area of the Manokwari Customs and Excise Supervision and Service Office, West Papua, fell 38.68 percent in May 2026 to 110.74 million kilograms. That figure was far below May 2025, which still reached 180.6 million kilograms.

The decline came as Manokwari’s foreign trade performance remained anchored in the cement industry. On one hand, exports were still moving. On the other, the pace slowed as demand for one of the main commodities, cement clinker, shrank in overseas markets.

Cement clinker demand weakened

Head of the Customs and Excise Section at KPPBC Manokwari, Feredy, said the decline in export volume was mainly triggered by reduced foreign demand for cement clinker. The commodity has long been one of the main supports for exports in the Manokwari Customs working area.

“The decline was quite significant, so it affected the overall export volume from the Manokwari Customs working area,” he said in Manokwari on Monday.

Feredy explained that Manokwari’s export performance was still supported by cement products from PT Conch West Papua Cement. Products counted in exports include cement clinker, hydraulic cement, and portland composite cement. However, their composition moved unevenly. Some declined. Others rose sharply.

Official KPPBC Manokwari data showed exports of hydraulic cement in May 2026 reached 48.74 million kilograms. That figure was down about 1.33 percent compared with the same period last year. By contrast, exports of portland composite cement jumped around 90.18 percent to 62 million kilograms.

The movement of those two products shows that Manokwari’s export structure still depends on the cement-based industrial sector. When global demand for one type of product weakens, total volume is immediately pressured. The impact is felt quickly.

Export value also corrected

Not only volume, but export value from January to May 2026 also fell. According to Feredy, total exports during that period reached 4.63 million US dollars, or down 24.92 percent from 6.16 million US dollars in the same period last year.

This decline in value and volume should be read together. When volume falls first, foreign trade revenue is usually affected as well, especially when commodity prices are not strong enough to offset weaker demand.

On state revenue, KPPBC Manokwari recorded collections through May 2026 of Rp17.93 billion. That figure was down 36.94 percent compared with the same period last year, which reached Rp28.44 billion.

The data shows that the export slowdown is not only about the amount of goods leaving the port. Its impact also reaches state coffers, even as customs activities continue and the supervisory function is maintained.

Export destinations still limited to two countries

Feredy also said Timor-Leste became the largest export destination country in May 2026, accounting for around 67 percent of total exports. The rest went to Papua New Guinea.

This export destination map, still concentrated in two countries, shows that Manokwari’s overseas market is not yet broad. For industry players, that has clear consequences. If one market slows, the impact is immediately felt on overall volume.

In the context of regional trade, a narrow market also makes exports more vulnerable to changes in demand. Because of that, export destination diversification is often a difficult task, especially for regions still relying on a single industrial cluster.

Feredy did not mention any production disruption, but the decline in cement clinker demand signals that global market factors still play a very large role. For businesses in West Papua, this means export movements cannot be separated from demand conditions in destination countries.

Imports of raw materials still follow production

On the other hand, import activity from January to May 2026 was still dominated by inbound raw materials and supporting materials to sustain PT Conch West Papua Cement production. The main commodity entering was natural gypsum.

KPPBC Manokwari recorded import performance through May 31, 2026, down 31.28 percent to 116 million kilograms from 168.8 million kilograms in the same period of 2025. Import value also contracted significantly.

“As of May 31, 2026, there was one import activity with a five percent import duty rate, generating revenue of Rp1.356 billion. Import value fell 42.35 percent from Rp210.64 billion to around Rp121.42 billion,” Feredy said.

Those figures show that import activity in Manokwari is still closely tied to the production needs of the cement industry. When raw material needs fall, imports also decline. When production shrinks, inbound cargo flow also narrows.

For the region, this creates two-sided effects. Industrial activity keeps moving, but room for foreign trade revenue growth is still tied to dependence on one main sector.

Excise monitoring and MSME support

Even as exports and imports declined, Manokwari Customs continued to carry out other functions, including monitoring excisable goods. Through May 2026, officers seized 6,529 cigarettes without excise stamps, which were then designated as State-Controlled Goods.

Beyond supervision, the office also promotes export-oriented micro, small, and medium enterprises. The program includes outreach, assistance, and direct visits to business actors so they can reach international markets.

The activity was carried out together with the West Papua Animal, Fish and Plant Quarantine Agency. Such assistance is important because MSMEs often need help at the earliest stage: understanding product standards, documents, and requirements for entering overseas markets.

For readers in West Papua, the May 2026 data delivers two simple messages. Manokwari exports are still moving, but the pressure is real. At the same time, state revenue from customs activity is also moving in step with market rhythms. One standout figure: export volume fell 38.68 percent in a month compared with May 2025.