VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Head of Statistics Indonesia (BPS) Margo Yuwono. ANTARA/Sella Panduarsa Gareta - 

Indonesia's trade balance until September 2021 registered a surplus of $4.37 billion, with exports totaling $20.60 billion and imports at $16.23 billion, according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS).

"Thus, Indonesia's trade balance experienced a 17-month surplus in a row," Head of BPS Margo Yuwono stated during a virtual press conference in Jakarta on Friday.

The biggest contributors to the surplus were the exports of mineral fuels, vegetable or animal oils and fats, as well as iron and steel. Meanwhile, the countries that contributed to the largest surplus were the United States, $1.5 billion; India, $718.6 million; and the Philippines, $713.9 million, he noted.

The largest surplus commodities with the US were clothing and accessories; India, mineral fuels and vegetable or animal oils and fats; and the Philippines, mineral fuels and vehicles along with its parts, Yuwono explained.

However, Indonesia's trade also experienced a deficit with several countries, the largest being with Australia, $529.7 million; Thailand, $346.8 million; and Ukraine, $247.2.

The deficit with Australia was attributed to the imports of mineral fuels and metal ore, silver, and ash, according to Yuwono. The deficit with Thailand was due to imports of plastic commodities and goods, machinery, mechanical equipment and its parts. The deficit with Ukraine was owing to the imports of cereals, iron and steel, he noted.

Hence, Indonesia's trade balance during the January-September 2021 period recorded a $25.07-billion surplus, much higher than the previous years, the head of BPS stated.

During the same period in 2020, Indonesia's trade balance surplus had only reached $13.35 billion, while in 2019, it even experienced a deficit//ANT