Indonesia Records $4.32 Billion Trade Surplus with the U.S. in Q1 2025

Indonesia has posted a trade surplus with the United States in the first quarter of 2025, continuing a positive trend in bilateral trade. As of March, the surplus reached USD 4.32 billion, up from USD 3.61 billion during the same period in 2024.

“From 2015 to 2024, Indonesia-U.S. trade has generally shown an upward trend. The surplus is primarily driven by non-oil and gas (non-oil) trade,” said Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, Head of Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency (BPS), during a press briefing on Monday, April 21, 2025.

Amalia noted that while Indonesia consistently records a trade deficit with the U.S. in the oil and gas (energy) sector, the surplus in non-oil trade more than offsets the losses. “The highest trade surplus with the U.S. was recorded in 2022, at USD 16.57 billion,” she added.

Non-Oil Commodities Lead Export Growth

Between January and March 2025, Indonesia’s exports to the U.S. were largely dominated by non-oil and gas commodities. Leading the way were electrical machinery and equipment (classified under HS85), with export values totaling USD 1.22 billion—accounting for 16.71% of all shipments to the U.S.

Following that were footwear (HS64) at USD 657.9 million or 9.01%, knitted apparel (HS61) at 8.61%, and non-knitted apparel (HS62) at 7.78%.

These top four export categories showed significant growth compared to the previous year. Electrical machinery and equipment rose by 17.65%, footwear increased by 16.62%, knitted apparel jumped by 20.46%, and non-knitted apparel saw a more modest gain of 1.47%.

“The U.S. is also the primary export destination for Indonesia’s clothing and footwear products. For knitted apparel under HS61, the U.S. accounts for 63.40% of Indonesia’s exports, far ahead of Japan and South Korea,” Amalia highlighted.

U.S. Imports Include Energy and Machinery

On the import side, Indonesia’s purchases from the U.S. include several oil and gas products such as crude petroleum, liquefied propane, and liquefied butane. In the non-oil segment, key imports include mechanical machinery and equipment (HS84), oilseeds such as soybeans (HS12), and electrical machinery and equipment (HS85).

These import categories reflect Indonesia’s ongoing reliance on U.S. technology and agricultural goods, complementing the export-driven surplus generated by the manufacturing and textile sectors.