Jakarta (The Indonesian News) – Indonesia’s merchandise trade performance improved in the third quarter of 2026, with the country returning to a trade surplus after posting a deficit in the previous quarter.
Statistics Indonesia (BPS) reported a trade surplus of US$7.03 billion in the third quarter, reversing a US$1.97 billion deficit in the second quarter. The turnaround was driven primarily by stronger exports between July and September 2026.
“Indonesia’s trade balance posted an impressive recovery in the third quarter of 2026 after recording a deficit in the previous quarter. The surplus reached US$7.03 billion, supported by stronger export performance,” BPS Chief Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti said in Jakarta on November 2.
Amalia said exports totaled US$80.42 billion in the third quarter, an increase of 8.72 percent from the second quarter’s US$73.97 billion. The figure was the highest quarterly export value in three years, surpassing the previous peak of US$74.32 billion recorded in the third quarter of 2025.
The increase was driven mainly by non-oil and gas exports, which rose 9.44 percent from the previous quarter, climbing from US$70.99 billion to US$77.69 billion. On a year-over-year basis, non-oil and gas exports in the July–September period grew 8.81 percent.
Oil and gas exports, meanwhile, totaled US$2.73 billion in the third quarter, down 8.30 percent from US$2.98 billion in the previous quarter.
Indonesia’s imports reached US$73.39 billion in the third quarter, a 3.35 percent decline from US$75.94 billion in the second quarter.
Stronger exports, combined with lower imports, helped improve Indonesia’s trade position and return the country’s merchandise trade balance to surplus.
Source: Statistics Indonesia (BPS)
