Export-Import Performance Decreases, Trade Balance Shows US$85 Million Surplus

Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that Indonesia's export and import performance in August 2019 declined. Total Indonesian exports reached US$14.28 billion. This figure is down 9.99% compared to August 2018, which was US$15.9 billion, and down 7.6% compared to July 2019, which was US$15.5 billion.

The same trend occurred with imports. In August 2019, Indonesian imports reached US$14.2 billion, down 15.6% compared to the same period last year (US$16.8 billion) and down 8.53% compared to July 2019 (US$15.5 billion).

The decline in exports occurred across all sectors. Exports of mining and oil and gas commodities in August 2019 reached US$711.2 million, down 45.07% compared to August 2018 (US$1.3 billion) and down 41.77% compared to July 2019 (US$1.2 billion). Meanwhile, exports in the non-oil and gas sector fell by 22.75% (year-on-year) and 45.35% (month-on-month) to US$568.6 million.

With exports exceeding imports, Indonesia's trade balance showed a surplus of US$85.1 million. This figure represents a significant improvement compared to August 2018, which recorded a deficit of US$953 million, and the previous month, which had a deficit of US$64.3 million.

(Read Databoks: [Trade Balance Deficit of US$63.5 Million in July 2019](https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2019/08/15/neraca-perdagangan-defisit-us-635-juta-pada-juli-2019))