For the past 14 years, Indonesia has consistently had a trade deficit with China.

China is Indonesia's largest trading partner and a fellow member of the G20. However, Indonesia has experienced a trade deficit with the "Bamboo Curtain" country for the past 14 years, since 2008.

Based on data from the Ministry of Trade, Indonesia-China trade from January to November 2021 reached US$ 89.35 billion, or the equivalent of Rp 1.41 quadrillion at an exchange rate of Rp 14,340 per US$. This comprises Indonesian exports to China of US$ 48.44 billion, while imports from China reached US$ 49.91 billion.

Thus, Indonesia's trade balance with China in the January-November 2021 period showed a deficit of US$ 1.48 billion. This trade deficit decreased by 78.77% compared to the same period the previous year, which was US$ 7.96 billion.

Observing the trend, trade between Indonesia and China has increased. However, the trade deficit has also widened. The deepest deficit in Indonesia's trade balance with its largest trading partner was recorded in 2018, reaching US$ 18.4 billion.

Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Indonesia's non-oil and gas exports to China reached US$ 51.11 billion throughout January-December 2021. This contributed 23.31% to the total national non-oil and gas exports. Meanwhile, Indonesia's imports from China amounted to US$ 55.74 billion during the same period, reaching 32.66% of Indonesia's total non-oil and gas imports.