JAKARTA, Oct. 6, 2026 — Indonesia’s trade surplus jumped to US$3.55 billion in August 2026, from just $120 million in July, as a strong non-oil and gas surplus more than offset the country’s energy trade deficit.
The August surplus was supported by a $6.09 billion surplus in non-oil and gas trade, while the oil and gas sector recorded a $2.54 billion deficit, Trade Ministry announced on Tuesday.
The main contributors to the non-oil and gas surplus were animal and vegetable fats and oils at $3.95 billion, mineral fuels at $2.45 billion, and iron and steel at $1.78 billion.
The United States was the largest contributor to Indonesia’s non-oil and gas surplus at $2.41 billion, followed by India at $1.19 billion and Malaysia at $830 million.
“The surge in the trade surplus in August 2026 shows that Indonesia’s external sector remains resilient,” Trade Minister Budi Santoso said.
The August performance lifted Indonesia’s cumulative trade surplus for January-August to $7.25 billion, comprising a $28.54 billion non-oil and gas surplus and a $21.29 billion oil and gas deficit.
For the first eight months of the year, the US contributed the largest non-oil and gas trade surplus at $15.21 billion, followed by India at $9.15 billion and the Philippines at $5.48 billion.
Manufacturing drives export growth
Indonesia’s exports reached $26.61 billion in August, up 1.51% from July and 6.72% from August 2025. Non-oil and gas exports rose 0.75% month-on-month, while oil and gas exports jumped 25.98%.
Exports from the manufacturing sector increased 2.46% from July.
For January-August, total exports reached $193.64 billion, up 4.74% from the same period last year. Non-oil and gas exports rose 5.48% to $185.63 billion, while oil and gas exports fell 9.98% to $8.01 billion.
China remained Indonesia’s largest non-oil and gas export market, accounting for $47.44 billion, or 25.55% of total exports. It was followed by the US at $22.41 billion and India at $12.77 billion.
Manufactured goods continued to drive export growth, with exports from the sector reaching $159.55 billion, or about 82.4% of total exports, during January-August. Manufacturing exports grew 7.87% year-on-year.
The strongest gains came from aluminium and related products, up 102.25%; nickel and related products, up 50.12%; and copper and related products, up 47.13%.
Budi said the figures showed that Indonesia’s downstream industrial policy was helping shift exports toward higher-value products.
“Manufacturing has become the main pillar and growth engine of national exports,” he said.
Imports remain strong despite August decline
Indonesia’s imports fell 11.63% month-on-month to $23.06 billion in August, although they were still 19.09% higher than a year earlier.
The monthly decline was driven by lower imports across all major categories. Capital goods imports fell 16.04%, followed by raw materials and intermediate goods at 11.11% and consumer goods at 5.95%.
However, cumulative imports for January-August rose 19.84% to $186.39 billion. Non-oil and gas imports increased 16.83%, while oil and gas imports rose 39.03%.
China, Japan and Australia were the largest sources of Indonesia’s non-oil and gas imports, together accounting for 52.72% of total imports.
Budi said the broad increase in imports reflected continued activity in manufacturing and the domestic economy.
Imports of raw materials and intermediate goods rose 20.67% during January-August, while capital goods increased 18.82% and consumer goods rose 15.48%.
The sharpest increase among non-oil and gas imports was recorded in aircraft and aircraft parts, which surged 372.70%. Imports of salt, sulphur, stone and cement rose 130%, while metal ores, slag and ash increased 51.30%.
Written by Staff Writer, edited by R. Kurniawan