Indonesia: RI posts $270m trade deficit in December, but $11.84b surplus in 2017

• Jan 15, 2018

Indonesia posted a US$270 million trade deficit in December as a result of a decline in non-oil and gas exports, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) has said.

Total exports in December reached $14.79 billion, a 3.45 percent decrease from the previous month, while imports were recorded at $16.06 billion, a 0.29 percent decrease from the previous month, the agency said.

Agricultural exports reached $280 billion, a 12.82 percent month-on-month decline attributed to a decrease in coffee, black pepper and cacao bean production, BPS head Suhariyanto said as reported by tempo.co in Jakarta on Monday.

Meanwhile, exports for manufacturing goods declined by 9.98 percent from the previous month to $10.33 billion.

It was the second of two monthly trade deficits posted last year, with the first deficit having occurred in July.

In November, exports increased slightly by 0.26 percent month-on-month to $15.28 billion. The increase was lower than the month’s import figure, which rose 6.42 percent to $15.15 billion.

However, Indonesia still posed $11.84 billion trade surplus along 2017. The cumulative export was recorded at $168.73 billion, while the import was at $156.89 billion. (bbn) 

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2018/01/15/ri-posts-270m-trade-deficit-in-december-but-11-84b-surplus-in-2017.html