Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Indonesia's trade surplus narrowed sharply to just $160 million in April 2025, a steep decline from the $4.33 billion surplus recorded the previous month, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).
BPS Deputy for Distribution and Services Statistics, Pudji Ismartini, said the April surplus was supported by a non-oil and gas trade surplus of $1.51 billion, mainly driven by exports of mineral fuels, animal and vegetable fats and oils, as well as iron and steel.
Meanwhile, the oil and gas sector posted a $1.35 billion deficit, largely due to increased imports of crude oil and refined petroleum products.
The goods trade balance recorded a surplus of $160 million. This means Indonesia has maintained a trade surplus for 60 consecutive months since May 2020, Pudji said during a press briefing at the BPS headquarters in Jakarta on Monday.
Indonesia's exports in April reached $20.74 billion, growing 5.76 percent year-on-year. However, imports surged to $20.59 billion, marking a 21.84 percent increase from April 2024.
Cumulatively, Indonesia booked a $11.07 billion trade surplus from January to April 2025, entirely supported by a $11.26 billion surplus in the non-oil & gas sector. The oil and gas trade, by contrast, registered a $16.95 billion deficit over the same period.
The United States, India, and the Philippines were the top contributors to Indonesia's trade surplus, with values of $5.44 billion, $3.98 billion, and $2.92 billion respectively. The largest trade deficits were recorded with China ($6.28 billion), Singapore ($2.41 billion), and Australia ($1.75 billion).
Leading non-oil & gas commodities contributing to the surplus between January and April included animal/vegetable fats and oils ($9.85 billion), mineral fuels ($9.16 billion), iron and steel ($5.54 billion), nickel and its derivatives ($2.59 billion), and footwear ($2.05 billion).
On the other hand, major non-oil & gas imports contributing to the trade deficit were mechanical machinery and equipment ($8.42 billion), electrical machinery and equipment ($3.56 billion), plastics and related products ($3.56 billion), cereals ($1.19 billion), and optical, photographic, cinematographic, and medical instruments ($950 million).