Jakarta. Indonesia’s importation of Australian jewelry has witnessed a triple-digit rise in early 2026, adding pressure to Jakarta’s surplus.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported that Australia had shipped around $507.59 million in jewelry and precious stones to Indonesia in January. These shimmering goods accounted for 47.54% of the $1.07 billion in non-oil and gas imports that Indonesia had made with the close neighbor.

“Our imports of Australian jewelry and precious stones soared 634.30% year-on-year,” BPS deputy Ateng Hartono recently told reporters. 

Imports only reached $69.1 million in the first month of 2025. Ateng did not say what had caused the spike. However, Indonesia’s non-oil and gas deficit with Australia rose to $840 million in January 2026, mainly thanks to these blings.

Australian Ambassador to ASEAN Tiffany McDonald had said that Canberra had been deepening trade with the Southeast Asian bloc over the past few years. She did not make a specific comment on the burgeoning jewelry shipments to Jakarta. However, she said relations had taken off since Australia upgraded its ASEAN relations to a so-called “comprehensive strategic partnership” level in 2021.

“Five years later, the comprehensive strategic partnership continues to guide our work together. It [includes] strengthening our economic cooperation,” McDonald told a media gathering in Jakarta on Tuesday evening.

Both Indonesia and Australia belong to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, the world’s largest free trade pact by the members’ economic size. This deal removes virtually all tariffs on goods traded within the bloc. There is also another Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement that lifts tariff barriers. 

As jewelry imports skyrocket, Indonesia’s trade balance is losing its sparkle. Southeast Asia’s biggest economy’s overall surplus only totaled $950 million in January, a huge drop from the $2.51 billion registered the previous month. In 2025, Indonesia started the year strong with a $3.49 billion surplus.

At home, Indonesia is stepping up its crackdown on illegal jewelry imports, with American luxury jewelry house Tiffany & Co. having its Jakarta stores sealed by customs authorities. 

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