Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Industry stated that the Middle East conflict has not significantly affected the performance of the national agro-industry as most raw materials used in the sector are sourced domestically and from countries outside the conflict zone.”The agro-industry processes our natural resources. There are no issues directly related to the conflict in the Middle East regarding primary raw materials,” the ministry's Acting Director General of Agro-Industry, Putu Juli Ardika, said on Tuesday.Furthermore, the need for imported raw materials for the agro-industry generally does not originate from countries in the Middle East.For example, industrial sugar, such as refined sugar, is mostly imported from countries such as Australia, Thailand, and Latin America.Meanwhile, other imported raw materials had already entered the country before the conflict occurred, he continued.However, Ardika acknowledged that global geopolitical tensions could still have indirect impacts, particularly on distribution costs.”The impact is more on transportation or logistics costs,” he stated.Therefore, his office is continuously monitoring developments in the global situation to anticipate potential supply chain disruptions and changes in logistics costs due to geopolitical dynamics.”We have also prepared alternatives to minimize the impact on the agricultural industry,” he remarked.Meanwhile, Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said the conflict in the Middle East has the potential to trigger volatility in global energy prices, disrupt international trade routes, and increase logistics and industrial raw material costs.“We continue to monitor developments in the Middle East, a global energy hub and key logistics route. Any escalation could affect energy prices, raw material supply chains, and manufacturing logistics costs,” the minister said on March 5.He said one of the most significant risks to the industrial sector is potential disruption to global energy distribution due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil trade route that carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.