Indonesia's First Semester Trade Balance Returns to Surplus

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded a surplus of US$477 million in the county’s trade balance in June 2015, adding to US$4.35 billion surplus in the first semester of this year.

“The import is still weak. Therefore the trade balance still enjoys a surplus,” BPS head Suryamin said at his office on Wednesday, July 15, 2015.

The first semester of 2015 achievement was better compared to last year’s with a deficit of US$288.3 million. On a monthly basis, June’s surplus was lower compared to May 2015 that stood at US$ 950 million. The year-on-year exports and imports in June 2015 declined by 12.78 percent and 17.42 percent, respectively, compared to June 2014.

The composition of the trade balance consisted of June 2015 exports that stood at US$13.44 billion and imports that stood at US$12.96 billion.

“Both exports and imports declined compared to last year,” Suryamin said.

Suryamin added that unstable commodity prices had caused the export figure to drop. Suryamin revealed that there were only eight out of 22 commodities that experienced improvement in terms of prices.

Suryamin said that oil and gas consumption had been the major contributor to the country’s imports with a total spending of US$3.1 billion.

“The oil and gas imports could be reduced if the public transportation was improved,” he said.

The United States had been the most important partner country where Indonesia exported its non-oil and gas commodities with a total value that stood at US$7.83 billion, followed by Japan and China with US$6.72 billion and US$6.65 billion, respectively.

Indonesia imported commodities from China, Japan and Singapore with total value of US$14.71 billion, US$7.18 billion and US$4.21 billion, respectively.

ANDI RUSLI