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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