In August, Indonesia reported impressive figures regarding its goods export and import activities. The nation’s exports soared to a value of $23.56 billion, reflecting a notable increase of 7.13% compared to the same period last year. Contrarily, imports also registered growth, reaching $20.67 billion, marking a 9.46% rise within the same timeframe, according to data released by Statistics Indonesia on Tuesday. Looking back at the cumulative data from January to August this year, Indonesia's total goods exports amounted to $170.89 billion.
This figure reveals a slight decline of 0.35% from the previous year. On the imports front, the value of inbound shipments totaled $152.04 billion during these first eight months, which signifies an increase of 3.31% year-over-year. In terms of export partnerships, August saw China leading as Indonesia's largest export partner with goods worth $5.33 billion.
The United States and Japan followed, with exports amounting to $2.61 billion and $1.80 billion, respectively. Combined, these three countries accounted for an impressive 43.55% of Indonesia’s total exports, underpinning the importance of these relationships in the country’s trade landscape. Additionally, Indonesia's exports to the ASEAN bloc reached $4.12 billion in August, while exports to the European Union achieved $1.54 billion.
This highlights the crucial role that regional partnerships play in Indonesia’s trade network. On the import side, the data reflects significant inbound shipments from various nations in August. Notably, China was the largest supplier with shipments valued at $45.41 billion, followed by Japan with $9.30 billion and Australia at $6.57 billion.
Furthermore, imports from ASEAN nations totaled $22.69 billion, with European imports reaching $8.33 billion, indicating sustained demand from these regions. Overall, Indonesia recorded a robust trade surplus of $2.90 billion in August, a critical indicator of the nation’s economic health as reported by Statistics Indonesia.
This surplus not only showcases Indonesia's resilience in the face of potential global economic challenges but also reinforces its strategic position in the regional and global trade forums..