Indonesia posts another trade surplus in Oct, due to poor imports

Jakarta

INDONESIA posted its 11th straight monthly trade surplus in October, which should guarantee its first annual surplus since 2011 but also shows how weak imports remain.

Monday's trade data is not seen impacting a central bank policy meeting on Tuesday. Twelve of 13 analysts in a Reuters poll expect Bank Indonesia (BI) to again hold the benchmark rate at 7.50 per cent, to support the rupiah ahead of a possible December hike in the United States interest rates.