Low national salt production due to high rainfall has caused a shortage of table salt in the market. To meet this demand, salt imports from abroad are needed. However, the lack of clarity regarding import permits has prevented the implementation of these imports.
Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded that throughout 2016, salt imports grew by 15 percent to 2.14 million tons from 1.86 million tons the previous year. The value grew by 7.8 percent to US$86 million from US$79.83 million previously. Salt imports reached their highest peak of 2.69 million tons with a value of US$104.35 million in 2014.
Based on data from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, domestic salt production in 2016 only reached 118,000 tons, while national demand reached 3 million tons.
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