JAKARTA, Indonesia / AsiaWire.IO / – Indonesia recorded a cumulative trade surplus of $10.61 billion from January to September 2026, driven mainly by strong non-oil and gas exports, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) said on Monday. Non-oil and gas trade generated a surplus of $34.21 billion, more than offsetting a $23.60 billion oil and gas deficit. BPS Deputy for Distribution and Service Statistics Ateng Hartono announced the figures at a press briefing. September alone added a monthly surplus of $3.36 billion.
Total exports over the nine months reached $221.23 billion, up 5.58% from a year earlier. Non-oil and gas shipments rose 6.30% to $212.27 billion, accounting for about 96% of the total. Manufacturing generated the bulk of export earnings at $182.83 billion, an increase of 8.93% from the same period in 2025. Oil and gas exports made up the remaining $8.96 billion, according to BPS data reported by the ANTARA news agency.
China remained Indonesia’s largest non-oil export market at $54.17 billion. The United States followed at $25.39 billion, ahead of India at $15.00 billion. Animal and vegetable oils, a category that includes palm oil, led export earnings at $29.31 billion. Mineral fuels brought in $21.42 billion, while iron and steel exports reached $13.95 billion. Together, the three product groups accounted for nearly 30% of total exports.
Imports climb faster than exports
Imports grew faster than exports over the period, rising 19.67% year on year to $210.63 billion. Non-oil imports increased 16.92% to $178.06 billion, while oil and gas imports jumped 37.35% to $32.57 billion. Raw materials and intermediate goods dominated purchases at $150.57 billion. China was the main supplier, providing $76.16 billion, or 42.77% of total non-oil imports.
The faster rise in imports narrowed the gap between inbound and outbound trade. In September, exports rose 11.87% year on year while imports climbed 18.41%. Analysts had expected export growth of 6.45% and import growth of 20.83%. In August, exports had grown 6.72% and imports 19.09%. The monthly surplus of $3.36 billion beat market expectations of about $1.9 billion. It was slightly below August’s $3.55 billion surplus and the $4.34 billion recorded in September 2025.
Bank Indonesia sees external buffer
Bank Indonesia welcomed the September result, saying the continued surplus supports the resilience of the country’s external sector. Ramdan Denny Prakoso, executive director of the central bank’s communication department, said Bank Indonesia would deepen policy coordination with the government and other authorities. In September, non-oil and gas trade posted a $5.67 billion surplus. The oil and gas deficit narrowed to $2.32 billion from $2.54 billion in August.
Non-oil exports in September rose to $26.64 billion from $25.62 billion in August. China, the United States and India remained the leading destinations for the month’s shipments. Vegetable fats and oils, precious metals and jewelry, iron and steel and electrical machinery led September exports. The trade data follow $7.33 billion in foreign inflows so far this year and the start of the Abadi Masela LNG project.