Indonesia records lower trade surplus in November

Indonesia's trade surplus decreased in November as growth in import of capital goods exceeded expansion of exports, the national statistic bureau said here on Thursday.

Indonesia witnessed 840 million U.S. dollars trade surplus in November, falling from 1.21 billion dollars in October, said Sasmito Hadi Wibowo, deputy for statistic distribution and services at the bureau.

Export in November grew 5.9 percent to 13.5 billion dollars from a month earlier and import expanded 10 percent to 12.66 billion dollars in November from a month earlier, the official said.

Indonesia's exports in November grew by 21 percent from a year earlier due to rising global demand on Indonesia's palm oil, coal and others mineral products, according to the bureau.

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. Endit