Exports of commodities from Bali to Japan fell sharply to around US$17 million in the first 7 months of this year.
The regional trade office of Bali gave no figure for exports in the same period of 2003 but Bali's exports to Japan in the whole of that year were valued at US$68 million.
The trade office said in a report the decline was caused by falling demand for fresh and frozen tuna from Japan. Tuna is one of the main export commodities from Bali to Japan.
Head of the Bali trade office Nengah Artawayasa said exports of tuna to Japan dropped to US$9.2 million in the first 7 months of this year from US$46.2 million in the same period last year.