Due to rising commodity prices Indonesia saw its export performance surge in January 2017. According to the latest data from Indonesia's Statistics Agency (BPS), Indonesia's exports grew 27.71 percent year-on-year (y/y) to USD $13.38 billion from the same month one year earlier, the fastest pace of export value growth since September 2011 and also exceeding analysts' estimates. This export growth was particularly attributed to higher prices of coal and crude palm oil (CPO).

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Indonesia's Statistics Agency (BPS) informed that both the nation's exports and imports rose for a third straight month (on a year-on-year basis) in December 2016. However, the growth pace slowed compared to the preceding month. Indonesia's exports climbed 15.6 percent (y/y) to USD $13.77 billion in the last month of 2016, slightly exceeding expectations and touching the highest export earnings of the past 24 months. Meanwhile, Indonesia's imports climbed 5.8 percent (y/y) to USD $12.78 billion in December 2016, also slightly surpassing expectations.

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The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) believes Indonesia's export performance can grow up to 3.2 percent year-on-year (y/y) in 2017 based on the most recent global growth projections. Yose Rizal, Head of the Economics Department within CSIS, said this 3.2 percent growth outlook is a modest one and Indonesia's export performance should actually perform better. In fact, for economic development of Indonesia, Rizal says export growth in the range of (at least) 4 - 5 percent (y/y) is required.

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The Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) proposes two strategies to boost Indonesia's export performance in 2017: (1) seek new export markets and (2) export 'halal' products (which adhere to Islamic law) to the Middle East. Last week Indonesia's Trade Ministry revised down its export target for 2017. The Ministry now expects Indonesia's export performance to grow 5.6 percent (y/y) to USD $136 billion this year (from an estimated USD $129 billion in 2016). The revision makes the nation's export target in line with the slow recovery of international demand.

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The slow recovery of global demand made Indonesia decide to revise down its export growth target for non-oil and gas products in 2017. Indonesian Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said the government now targets a 5.6 percent year-on-year (y/y) growth in non-oil and gas exports (down from its earlier target of 11.9 percent y/y). This target is regarded as more realistic considering the slow recovery of international demand. To boost export growth in 2017 the government aims to diversify export markets as well as to, simply, export more products to existing export markets.

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Indonesia's Statistics Agency (BPS) announced on Thursday (15/12) that the nation's export performance in November 2016 showed a sharp increase. Sasmito Hadi Wibowo, Deputy for Statistics Distribution and Services at BPS, said Indonesia's export growth was "rather spectacular" and gives rise to optimism that global demand and trade have improved. In November Indonesia posted a USD $838 million trade surplus, down from the revised USD $1.24 billion in the preceding month. In all of the first eleven months of 2016, Indonesia recorded a trade surplus.

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Indonesia recorded a USD $1.21 billion trade surplus in October 2016 according to the latest data from the nation's Central Statistics Agency (BPS). In line with expectations both exports and imports rose last month supported by rising commodity prices (hence boosting the country's export performance) and an increase in machinery and electrical appliance imports into Indonesia. Meanwhile, BPS revised September's trade surplus to USD $1.27 billion, from USD $1.22 billion reported last month.

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Indonesia's Statistics Agency (BPS) announced that the nation's trade surplus improved to USD $1.22 billion in September 2016, the highest monthly surplus over the past 13 months. The rising surplus was primarily the result of a growing non-oil & gas trade surplus. However, both Indonesia's exports and imports contracted on an annual basis. But because imports declined more rapidly, Southeast Asia's largest economy managed to record a solid trade surplus in September, beating analysts' estimates, by far (that averaged around USD $450 million).

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Eight commodity prices have been rising steadily so far this year on higher global demand. This rebound is expected to continue into 2017 although it will require a long time to touch the levels that we saw in 2011. The World Bank noted in a report released on 4 October 2016 that the prices of eight commodities - coal, crude oil, crude palm oil, copper, iron ore, tin, nickel and gold - have been rebounding so far this year. Rising commodity prices will support economic growth of Indonesia as Southeast Asia's largest economy is one of the world's largest commodity exporters.

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Indonesian entrepreneurs say their credit demand is limited due to few expansion and investment plans ahead of the end of the year. Although the Indonesian economy is recovering - reflected by accelerated GDP growth figures in the first two quarters of the year - demand from abroad for Indonesian products remains weak, while domestic demand remains somewhat subdued as well (reflected by the nation's structurally weakening export and import figures over the past 15 months). As a result credit growth has been slowing accordingly.

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On 5 May 2023, Indonesia’s Statistical Agency (Badan Pusat Statistik, BPS) released the latest official Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data of Indonesia. BPS announced that the Indonesian economy expanded by 5.03 percent year-on-year (y/y) in Q1-2023, a good result that is in line with our expectations.

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Last month we warned that Indonesia’s trade performance could easily continue to contract in February 2023, thereby continuing the trend we have seen since August 2022. Moreover, February is a short month, and therefore it typically has trouble to compete with other months in terms of trade activity.

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Over the past couple of months we have informed on the shortage of cooking oil on the Indonesian market, the subsequent inflationary pressures this shortage caused, and the policies that were imposed by the government to tackle this shortage. But, we did not devote an entire article to this topic.

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Both Indonesia’s export and import performance was quite amazing in March 2022. While we expected imports to rebound ahead of the start of the Ramadan month (on 1 April 2022), a month that typically gives rise to a big increase in consumption, we did underestimate Indonesia’s export performance in last month’s forecast.

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On 7 February 2022, Indonesia’s Statistical Agency (Badan Pusat Statistik, or BPS) announced the latest gross domestic product (GDP) data of Indonesia, covering the final quarter of 2021.

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In January 2022 Indonesian Minister for Coordinating Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said the Indonesian government aims to ratify the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade agreement in the first quarter of 2022. Just like the Philippines and Myanmar, Indonesia is still to ratify the RCEP even though this agreement already took effect per 1 January 2022.

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According to the latest data from Statistics Indonesia (Badan Pusat Statistik, or BPS), Indonesia posted a USD $4.37 billion trade surplus in September 2021. It is a slightly lower surplus compared to the previous month (when Indonesia posted its highest ever monthly trade surplus), but remains one of the highest surpluses in the history of Indonesia.

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Indonesia recorded another big trade surplus in July 2020. Based on the latest data from Indonesia’s Statistical Agency (BPS), the country's trade surplus reached USD $3.26 billion in July 2020, a huge improvement from the USD $280.1 million deficit it recorded in the same month one year earlier.

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For the second consecutive month Indonesia recorded a big trade surplus. According to the latest data from Indonesia’s Statistical Agency (BPS), the country posted a USD $1.27 billion trade surplus in June 2020.

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In line with estimates, Indonesia’s trade balance showed another deficit in January 2020. Based on the latest data from Statistics Indonesia (Badan Pusat Statistik, or BPS), a USD $864.2 million trade deficit was recorded in the first month of the year.

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