Indonesia posts biggest trade surplus in nearly a year at US$3.55 billion in August

[JAKARTA] Indonesia booked a surprisingly large trade surplus of US$3.55 billion in August, official data showed on Thursday (Oct 1), well above the median forecast for a surplus of around US$630 million in a Reuters poll.

The August surplus was the widest since September 2025, according to LSEG data.

Exports rose 6.72 per cent on a yearly basis in August to reach US$26.61 billion, according to Statistics Indonesia, compared with a 4.3 per cent increase expected in the poll.

Imports rose 19.09 per cent on a yearly basis to US$23.06 billion, compared with a 31.14 per cent rise seen in the poll.

Resource-rich Indonesia has benefited from rising prices of some of its top commodity exports in 2026, with some gains driven by rising global crude prices due to the Middle East conflict. However, as a net oil importer, its import bills have also soared.

Indonesia, the biggest economy in South-east Asia, is the world’s top exporter of coal, palm oil and nickel and a major supplier of tin, copper, aluminium and coffee. REUTERS