Jakarta – Indonesia announced a rise in January exports Friday in what one analyst called a good sign for the country's economy.

The Central Bureau of Statistics said exports rose to 4.0 billion dollars from 3.992 billion in December while imports fell to 1.89 billion from 2.0 billion, producing a trade surplus of 2.11 billion dollars,

The January trade data indicates a pick-up in external demand while confirming a decline in domestic demand, said IDEAglobal.com analyst Nizam Idris. Idris said the January export figure was better than expected, which was very likely due to stronger demand from the United States as well as better oil prices during the month.

"It is a good sign for Indonesia," he told AFX-Asia, an AFP-owned affiliate. "While it is not saying that the economy has recovered, it is quite encouraging. And I think some new orders from the US could be one of the reasons for better demand."

Idris said the continued fall in imports clearly signals weakening domestic consumption and to some extent could raise concerns over future exports. He said February may see worse numbers for imports and exports due to severe floods during the month.

The statistics bureau said exports to the US rose to 498.1 million dollars in January from 469 million in December, while exports to Japan fell to 432 million from 439 million and exports to Singapore were up from 375 million to 433 million.