JAKARTA- Indonesia’s trade surplus narrowed more than expected to $3.89 billion in December as export growth weakened while imports slumped, data from the statistics bureau showed on Monday.
A Reuters poll had expected a surplus of $4.01 billion in December. The surplus in November was worth $5.16 billion.
Exports from the resource-rich country rose 6.58 percent on a yearly basis to $23.83 billion, roughly in line with the poll’s forecast of a 6.65 percent increase.
Imports declined 6.61 percent on a yearly basis, the biggest drop in two years, to $19.94 billion, compared with the poll’s prediction for a 7.58 percent drop.
Southeast Asia’s largest economy saw an export boom for most of 2022 fueled by high global commodity prices. But export growth slowed later in the year as prices moderated. — Reuters
