Indonesian trade surplus widened in Jan to $2.76 billion, Reuters poll shows

By Reuters   |   17 hours ago
Indonesian trade surplus widened in Jan to $2.76 billion, Reuters poll shows

JAKARTA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Indonesia's trade surplus is expected to have widened in January from a month earlier as double-digit growth in exports offset higher imports, a Reuters poll showed on Friday.

A dozen economists surveyed by Reuters between February 23 and February 27 forecast a median January trade surplus of $2.76 billion, up from $2.52 billion in December, but down from $3.45 billion in January 2025.

The largest economy in Southeast Asia has posted monthly trade surpluses since mid-2020, reaching a peak in April 2022 during a commodities boom.

Exports in the first month of 2026 were estimated to have risen 11.07% from a year earlier, a slightly slower pace compared with 11.64% in December.

January imports were projected to be 13.23% higher than a year earlier, compared with 10.81% growth in December.

On Monday, the government's statistics office will also release consumer price data for February.

The poll produced a median forecast for headline inflation of 4.31%, picking up from 3.55% in January.

The central bank is targeting an inflation rate of 1.5% to 3.5% in 2026 and 2027.

Annual core inflation, which strips out government-controlled and volatile food prices, was estimated at 2.48% in February, up from 2.45% in January, the poll showed.

(Polling by Devayani Sathyan; Writing by Stefanno Sulaiman; Editing by Neil Fullick)

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