Indonesia's trade surplus up in September on slow decline in export

Indonesia's trade performance witnessed a higher surplus in September with the year-over-year decline in exports continued to slow.

The national statistic bureau announced on Monday that Indonesia recorded 1.21 billion U.S. dollars trade surplus in September, rising from revised 360 million dollars in August.

Indonesia's exports continued to slow in September by recording 0.59 percent reduction to 12.51 percent from a year earlier, Head of the National Statistic Bureau Suhariyanto told a press conference at the bureau headquarters.

Imports were down 2.26 percent to 11.30 billion dollars in September from a year ago, he said.

In the first nine months, exports fell 9.4 percent to 115.21 billion dollars on year, while imports shrank 8.6 percent to 107.99 billion dollars, creating 7.22 billion dollars in the period, said Suhariyanto.

Indonesia's rupiah appreciates over 6 percent this year and the central bank's foreign exchange rises 9.740 billion dollars to 115,671 billion dollars, according to data from the central bank.

Most of Indonesia's exported products are commodities whose prices and demand have been eroded by weakening of oil price and slowing global growth.

Indonesia is the world's biggest exporter of crude palm oil, thermal coal, and the world's third biggest exporter of rubber and cocoa, as well as home to the world's second-biggest copper mine.

The Southeast Asia's biggest economy is expected to grow by 5.2 and 5.1 percent this year and next year respectively. Endit