Jakarta. Indonesia's trade surplus fell to just $89.1 million in April 2026, despite maintaining a positive trade balance for 72 consecutive months since May 2020.

This marked a significant drop from the $3.32 billion surplus secured in March 2026 as import inflows into Southeast Asia’s biggest economy went up in double digits. It failed to beat the $160 million surplus seen in April 2025, according to the official statistics body BPS. 

In April 2026, exports hit $25.30 billion, while imports came close at around $25.21 billion. Imports are also witnessing a 22.49% jump compared to April 2025. 

“The annual cumulative surplus stood at $5.64 billion between January and April 2026,” Pudji Ismartini, a deputy at BPS, told a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Indonesia’s imports over the same four-month period rose 13.40% to $86.51 billion. These foreign non-oil goods had mainly come from China at $30.79 billion. Followed by Japan and Australia, each contributing $4.15 billion worth of imports, respectively.

“Oil and gas imports went up over the same period went up 17.58%,”  Pudji said.

The shrinking trade surplus came ahead of Indonesia’s one-gate export system. Asked about the new policy’s implications for export, Pudji said: “The transition period had only begun on June 1 [Monday]”, insisting that the agency would need more time to see its effects. 

Businesses have started to report their sales to the nascent Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia (DSI), the export agency that the government set up to curb under-invoicing. Coal and palm oil -- the two commodities that have driven the surplus -- are subject to this policy. By January 2027, all export processes will have to go through DSI.