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PERTAMINA - JAKARTA. Indonesian state energy company PT Pertamina has deferred some of its gasoline deliveries for May to June after the high-demand season of Ramadan ended, trade sources said.
The company made a "delivery adjustment" after considering domestic demand, consumption patterns, product inventory levels and energy security, said Murti Dewi Hani, a spokesperson at Pertamina Patra Niaga, the company's trading unit.
She did not give details about volumes or timing.
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Indonesia is Asia's biggest gasoline importer and buys an average of 10 million-11 million tonnes of the motor fuel annually.
The country imported about 60% of the gasoline it used last year at a cost of $17 billion. It aims to introduce bioethanol mandates for gasoline to further cut fuel imports and carbon emissions.
A Singapore-based gasoline trader said local demand during May will most likely be less than expected.
Indonesia imported about 2.1 million tonnes of gasoline in March and April, ship-tracking data from Kpler showed. That is down from 2.86 million tonnes in the same period last year, according to data from Statistics Indonesia.
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Indonesia's gasoline consumption growth is expected to slow slightly along with its economy this year, although imports could still hit records as the nation recovers from COVID-related travel curbs.
Its economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter but is set to struggle over the coming quarters, which could affect domestic demand, analysts said.
