Indonesia’s trade balance in April 2023 experienced a US $3.94 billion surplus. The surplus was triggered by a decrease in oil and gas imports. The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reports that this trade balance surplus is a 36-month-up surplus in a row. The surplus was much higher than in March 2023, which reached US $ 2.91 billion.
Deputy for BPS Statistics and Statistical Information Imam Machdi revealed a surplus due to a lower decrease in imports of exports. Non-oil and gas imports have decreased throughout April 2023 by 22.27% on an annual basis. The development of imports in April 2023, the import value of IDR 15.35 billion or down 25.45% when compared to March 2023. If detailed, oil and gas imports are worth US $2.96 billion or down 1.98% compared to March 2023.
“In the last three years, the changes in April imports have always fallen, the decline in non-oil and gas imports by 29.48% in April because there was a war from several commodities,” said Imam.
This surplus position is higher than the market consensus compiled by the CNBC Indonesia Research Team. A total of 12 institutions estimate that the trade balance surplus in April 2023 will reach US $3.34 billion. Consensus also shows that exports will still be contracted by 19.31% (year on year/yoy) while imports have dropped 7%. For the record, the export value of March 2023 plummeted 11.33% (yoy) but increased 9.89% (month to month/mtm). Imports contracted 6.62% (yoy) but jumped 29.33% (mtm).
May 15, 2023, CNBC Indonesia
(https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/news/20230515103347-4-437319/mantap-neraca-perdagangan-ri-surplus-us-394-m-di-april-2023)