Indonesia's May trade surplus larger than expected; exports, imports plunge

TRADE BALANCE - JAKARTA. Indonesia posted a bigger-than-expected $2.09 billion trade surplus in May, while exports and imports plunged the most since 2009 as the coronavirus pandemic hammered global trade, data from the statistics bureau showed.

A Reuters poll had expected a $420 million surplus.

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May exports were $10.53 billion, down 28.95% on-year, partly due to falling shipments of coal and coffee as well as oil and gas, the bureau said. The poll had forecast a 17.98% fall.

Imports plummeted 42.20% on-year in May to $8.44 billion, compared with the poll's expectation for a 24.55% drop.