TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) announced that Indonesia has recorded US$3.59 billion trade surplus in the first semester of 2016.

BPS head Suryamin said that the surplus was caused by the high export volume in June 2016, which claimed to be the highest since July 2015.

"Maybe [the surplus in June] was affected by the fasting month and the Lebaran holiday," Suryamin said on Friday, July 15, 2016.

Suryamin explained that the trade balance surplus in June 2016 stood at US$900.2 million, with an export value of US$12.92 billion and an import value of US$12.02 billion. The export value of the non-oil and gas sector stood at US$11.73 billion, increasing by 11.12 percent when compared to that in May 2016; and the export value of the oil and gas sector stood at US$1.19 billion, increasing by 23.92 percent compared to the previous month.

Therefore, the export value in June 2016 increased by 12.18 percent compared to the previous month. However, the figure dropped by 4.42 percent when compared to the same period of last year. In June 2015, the export value of oil and gas and non-oil and gas sectors stood at US$13.51 billion.

Cumulatively, Indonesia's export value in the first semester of 2016 stood at US$69.51 billion, decreasing by 11.37 percent compared to the same period of last year. Meanwhile, the import value of the first semester stood at US$65.92 billion.

The import value of the non-oil and gas sector in the first semester stood at US$63.01 billion, decreasing by 7.92 percent compared to the same period of last year.

United States had been Indonesia's top non-oil and gas exports destination with a total value of US$7.88 billion, followed by Japan with a total value of US$6.42 billion and China with a total value of US$6.08 billion. Meanwhile, exports of non-oil and gas to the European Union stood at US$13.72 billion, and those to ASEAN countries stood at US$7.03 billion.

BAGUS PRASETIYO | ARDITO RAMADHAN