Indonesia's trade surplus up in December on rising export

Surplus of Indonesia's trade balance rose in December as shipment of products from the country increased amid rising global commodity prices.

The national statistic bureau announced on Monday that Indonesia recorded 990 million U.S. dollars trade surplus in December compared with 840 million U.S. dollars in November.

The country's export grew 15.57 percent to 13.77 billion U.S. dollars in December from a year ago, and import expanded 5.82 percent to 12.78 billion U.S. dollars in the month from a year ago, Suhariyanto, head of the bureau told a press conference.

For the whole of last year, the country recorded 8.72 billion U.S. dollars trade surplus, compared with 7.7 billion U.S. dollars at the previous year, he said.

Export reached 144.43 billion U.S. dollars and import was 135.65 billion U.S. dollars last year, the chairman said.

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