Jakarta (ANTARA) – Trade Minister Budi Santoso said the government continues to push for higher national exports amid the weakening of the rupiah against the United States dollar.Santoso noted that Indonesia’s export performance has maintained a positive trend since the beginning of the year.As of March 2026, national exports grew by around 0.39 percent cumulatively compared to the same period last year.“We continue to push so that growth does not slow down. That is why one of the steps we are taking is encouraging our partners to continue increasing exports. Hopefully, exports will continue to rise in April,” he said in Jakarta on Wednesday.According to him, the weakening rupiah does not necessarily pose an obstacle to the international trade sector.Instead, the government is using the momentum to strengthen the competitiveness of Indonesian products in the global market.”Whatever the conditions, we must continue seeking solutions so that our exports keep running and even continue to increase,” he remarked.He added that the Ministry of Trade, together with business players, continues to take various measures to maintain export growth and prevent it from slowing.One of the measures is encouraging exporters to expand their destination markets and increase shipment volumes.The minister noted that export performance in the January–March 2026 period remained solid, with growth approaching 1 percent.This achievement is considered positive given global economic uncertainty, including geopolitical tensions and international trade pressures.In March 2026, Indonesia’s exports were recorded at US$22.53 billion, up 1.62 percent from February 2026, but down 3.10 percent year-on-year.The monthly increase was driven by an 18.60 percent surge in oil and gas exports, while non-oil and gas exports grew modestly by 0.75 percent.