JAKARTA: Indonesia reported on Monday a $4.33 billion trade surplus in March, more than expected and the widest in four months as shipments beat estimates and imports were weaker than anticipated.
A Reuters poll of analysts had expected a surplus of $2.64 billion in March. The March surplus was the largest since November 2024, according to LSEG data.
Exports from the resource-rich country have rebounded from lows reached after the end of a commodity boom in 2022, but shipments could soon be affected by dimming global trade outlook due to the US tariff policies.
The United States has announced a 32% tariff on Indonesian products, which has been paused for 90 days.
US tariffs may cut Indonesia growth by up to 0.5 percentage points, minister says
Several Indonesian ministers have been in Washington since last week to try to negotiate a deal to avoid the tariff.
Exports rose 3.16% on an annual basis in March to $23.25 billion, official data showed on Monday, compared with a 3.40% fall expected by economists polled by Reuters.
Imports were worth $18.92 billion, the statistics bureau said, up 5.34% on a yearly basis, compared with the poll’s prediction of a 6.6% rise.
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