Denpasar, Bali - Indonesia's exports to the United States in 2007 increased 7.3 percent to US$16.4 billion from US$15.3 billion a year earlier, according to data made available during a meeting between Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu and  US Trade Representative Susan C Schwab here on Saturday.

Minister Pangestu was holding a bilateral meeting with Susan C Schwab, US chief delegate to a series of consultative meetings with ASEAN economic ministers being held here.

The meetings were attended by economic, trade and industry ministers from 14 countries, consisting of 10 ASEAN countries and New Zealand, India, Australia and the United States.

The United States which is Indonesia's second biggest export destination  was represented by the US Trade Represen-tative (USTR).

The Bali consultation meeting which is held periodically under the framework of the Trade Investment Council (TIC) program is the 8th held since the TIC was reactivated in 2003.

In the meantime, Indonesia's imports from the United States in 2007 stood at US$4.8 billion, which increased 4.1 percent from the figure in the previous year.

Compared with its exports to the United States in the 2002-2003 period which increased 11.4 percent, Indonesia's exports to the same destination in 2007 which rose by only 7.3 percent had actually decreased.