Indonesia's April export, import growth slower than expected

[JAKARTA] Indonesia's exports and imports grew more slowly than expected in April, while the country's trade balance was smaller than a month before, the statistics bureau said on Monday.

Southeast Asia's largest economy had a US$1.24 billion trade surplus in April, the bureau said, more than the US$860 million a Reuters poll had forecast, but smaller than the revised US$1.39 billion for March.

Imports rose 10.31 per cent from a year earlier to US$11.93 billion in April. The poll's median forecast was for a 21.56 per cent annual growth rate.

The bureau said imports of consumer goods rose nearly 26 per cent on a yearly basis. Increases in imports of capital goods and raw materials were smaller.

Exports rose 12.61 per cent to $13.17 billion in April, versus the poll's forecast of 22.45 per cent.

Both exports' and imports' value in April were below that of March.

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REUTERS