PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA — Indonesia’s trade performance continued its strong momentum, recording a surplus of US$ 5.49 billion in August 2025, a sharp increase from US$ 4.17 billion in the previous month. The non-oil and gas (nonmigas) surplus soared to its highest level since November 2022, reaching US$ 7.15 billion.
Minister of Trade Budi Santoso stated that this achievement extends Indonesia’s streak of trade surpluses to 64 consecutive months since May 2020. “The August surplus reflects Indonesia’s trade resilience amid global uncertainties. The non-oil and gas balance reached US$ 7.15 billion, the highest in nearly three years,” he said in an official statement quoted by Palmoilmagazine.com on Sunday (October 5).
Cumulatively, Indonesia’s trade surplus from January to August 2025 reached US$ 41.21 billion, up from US$ 32.69 billion during the same period last year. The largest surpluses came from trade with the United States (US$ 14.09 billion), India (US$ 9.47 billion), and the Philippines (US$ 5.81 billion).
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Indonesia’s exports in August 2025 reached US$ 24.96 billion, up 0.87% month-on-month (MoM) and 5.78% year-on-year (YoY). Non-oil and gas exports grew 6.68% YoY, while oil and gas exports declined 10.88%.
The top three non-oil and gas commodities with the strongest export growth in August were:
- Ores, slag, and ash (HS 26) — up 128.61%
- Articles of iron and steel (HS 73) — up 52.85%
- Inorganic chemicals (HS 28) — up 47.52%
From January to August 2025, total exports reached US$ 185.13 billion, up 7.72% compared to the same period in 2024. Of that, non-oil and gas exports contributed US$ 176.09 billion, growing 9.15%.
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The manufacturing sector dominated non-oil and gas exports with a 79.92% share, followed by mining (12.73%) and agriculture (2.47%). Interestingly, agriculture recorded the highest growth rate of 38.25%.
The top non-oil and gas export commodities during the first eight months of 2025 included:
- Cocoa and cocoa products (HS 18) — up 86.52%
- Aluminum and related products (HS 76) — up 68.86%
- Coffee, tea, and spices (HS 09) — up 58.66%
Expanding Export Destinations
China, the United States, and India remained Indonesia’s top three export destinations, with a combined value of US$ 73.63 billion, accounting for 41.82% of total non-oil and gas exports.
Meanwhile, the fastest-growing export markets were Switzerland (181.73%), Bangladesh (38.70%), Brazil (38.58%), Thailand (35.03%), and Egypt (33.70%). By region, exports to West Africa grew 74.31%, Central Asia 66.19%, and East Africa 47.56%.
“These results confirm that Indonesia’s export diversification is expanding, reducing dependence on traditional markets and increasingly reaching non-traditional destinations,” Minister Budi emphasized. (P2)
