Indonesia posts US$3.55bil trade surplus in August
JAKARTA: Indonesia booked a surprisingly large trade surplus of US$3.55 billion in August, official data showed on Thursday, well above the median forecast for a surplus of around US$630 million in a Reuters poll.
Indonesia reported a substantial trade surplus of US$3.55 billion in August, significantly exceeding the forecasted US$630 million surplus in a Reuters poll, according to official data released on Thursday. This marked the largest surplus since September 2025, as per LSEG data. Exports surged by 6.72% year-on-year to US$26.61 billion, surpassing the predicted 4.3% increase.
However, imports grew at a much steeper rate of 19.09% to US$23.06 billion, outpacing the projected 31.14% rise. The country's resource-rich economy has reaped benefits from the escalation of commodity export prices, particularly due to the surge in global crude prices following the Middle East conflict. Despite being a net oil importer, Indonesia's import costs have also experienced a significant increase.
As the biggest economy in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is renowned as the world's leading exporter of coal, palm oil, and nickel, and a major supplier of tin, copper, aluminium, and coffee.
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