Market participants were pleased to see the trade balance of Indonesia posting an unexpected USD $1.52 billion surplus in December 2013, almost twice as high than previous forecasts. This December surplus is the highest monthly surplus since December 2011. Exports rose 6.56 percent from November 2013 and 10.33 percent from December 2012, while imports rose 2.04 percent from November 2013 but declined 0.79 percent from December 2012. Although showing an easing trend, Indonesia posted a trade deficit of USD $4.06 billion in full 2013.

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Today (03/02), Statistics Indonesia (BPS) will release a number of macroeconomic data which are eagerly awaited for by market participants. Most importantly, Indonesia's January 2014 inflation rate and the December 2013 trade balance. These data will have an impact on the performance of Indonesia's rupiah exchange rate and the country's benchmark stock index (IHSG). Monthly inflation in January is expected to range between 0.8 and 1.0 percent, while a trade surplus of about USD $800 million in December is forecast.

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) expects that the country will record another monthly trade surplus in December 2013. Perry Warjiyo, Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia, said that the December trade balance is estimated to record a USD $785 million surplus, thus slightly improving from the USD $776.8 million surplus in November 2013. If Bank Indonesia's forecast is realized then it would be the third consecutive month in which Indonesia posts a trade surplus. This is important  to improve the country's financial stability.

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Forecasts for economic growth in Indonesia in 2014 are still optimistic. The government of Indonesia targets a 6 percent growth rate, while the country's central bank (Bank Indonesia) expects GDP growth in the range of 5.8 to 6.2 percent. Although these forecasts clearly fall short of the target set in the country's National Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMN) - which mentions annual GDP growth of between 6.3 and 6.8 percent - the forecasts are still rather positive given the global uncertain and volatile economic context in recent years.

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The Governor of Indonesia's central bank (Bank Indonesia), Agus Martowardojo, expects that the pace of inflation in Indonesia in January 2014 is most likely to become one of the lowest January inflation rates in the last five years although it remains important that food supplies are maintained at safe levels. The higher price of LPG in Southeast Asia's largest economy is expected to contribute only slightly to January's inflation rate. Martowardojo also stated that Indonesia's macroeconomy is stable at the start of a new year.

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The World Bank released the December edition of its Indonesia economic quarterly report. The title of the report “Slower Growth; High Risks” leaves little to the imagination. The World Bank expects Indonesia’s economic growth to slow to 5.3 percent in 2014 amid external shocks, most notably the Federal Reserve 'tapering'. The report states that “while policymakers in Indonesia have taken steps to encourage near-term macroeconomic stability, further structural reforms are needed to support export performance and encourage long-term faster growth.”

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On Monday (09/12), the government of Indonesia outlined the long-awaited extension of its economic policy package that was released in August 2013. This extension involves new fiscal policies, aimed at reducing imports and supporting exports, that will be implemented at the start of 2014. An improving global economy in combination with the government's August package and yesterday's extension package is expected to reduce Indonesia's wide current account deficit to a sustainable level of below 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

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Inflation in November 2013 continued to show a decelerating trend at 0.12 percent (month-to-month) or 8.37 percent (year-on-year). Although higher compared to October 2013 inflation (0.09 percent), November inflation was lower than its historical pattern in the last five years. The low inflation rate was influenced by deflation in the volatile food group with deflation of 0.57 percent (mtm), a result of the correction in chilli prices, especially in Java and eastern region of Indonesia as well as the decline in the chicken meat price in almost all areas of Indonesia.

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Today (02/12), Statistics Indonesia (BPS) announced that Indonesian inflation was recorded at 0.12 percent in November 2013. Suryamin, Head of BPS, said that the price movements of basic needs, including rice and chili, were under control in November, while other components, such as groceries and clothing, in fact recorded deflation. Compared to the month November in previous years, the 0.12 inflation rate is limited. In November 2012, inflation was recorded at 0.34 percent. Indonesia's year-on-year inflation rate now stands at 8.37 percent.

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Agus Martowardojo, Governor of Indonesia's central bank, expects the Indonesian economy to consolidate in 2014. The country is currently experiencing an economic correction with GDP growth slowing to 5.62 percent in the third quarter of 2013. Martowardojo said that the current account deficit still needs time to reach a healthy level. Indonesia's current account deficit stood at USD $8.4 billion (equivalent to 3.8 percent of the country's GDP) in the third quarter of 2013, down from USD $9.8 billion (4.4 percent of GDP) in the second quarter.

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The government of Indonesia is yet to find a middle way between encouraging the development of processing facilities for the country's mining output and the relaxation of mineral ore exports. Based on Law No. 4/2009 on Mineral and Coal Mining (New Mining Law), exports of mineral ore should have been fully banned in 2014. However, due to the lack of domestic smelting capacity a last-minute regulation was signed in early January 2014 by former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that softened this ban.

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Indonesia is eager to enhance trade relations with Europe through the establishment of the Indonesia-European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Thomas Lembong, Indonesia's Trade Minister, said joining this free trade deal will modernize and improve Indonesia's existing trade regulations. Joining the Indonesia-EU CEPA is the current top priority of the Indonesian government in terms of free trade deals. It aims to have reached an agreement with the EU by late-2017. Afterwards, Indonesia will seek to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and it also showed interest to join the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

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Broad market trends in the Indonesian rupiah have held relatively consistent over the last year, with a modest devaluation seen against the US dollar. We did see fluctuations in these trends during the summer months but many of these moves came as a result of external influences. One of the best examples here is the media turmoil that posted during this period with respect to a slowdown in the Chinese economy, and this has left many investors wondering whether the rupiah will be able to stand on its own merits and reverse some of its earlier weakness.

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Indonesia has always been hesitant to join free-trade deals with other nations on fears that domestic industries cannot compete with foreign counterparts, which could lead to an influx of cheaper, yet higher-quality foreign products. During his visit to the White House, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said Indonesia intends to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal. Back home, this statement led to concern. What are the negative consequences for Indonesia when joining this deal?

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Indonesia mencatat surplus perdagangan sebesar 1,02 miliar dollar Amerika Serikat (AS) pada bulan September 2015, lebih tinggi dari perkiraan para analis dan naik dari surplus perdagangan direvisi yang dicatat pada 328 juta dollar AS pada bulan sebelumnya. Ini adalah bulan kesepuluh secara beruntun terjadi surplus perdagangan di Indonesia. Kendati begitu, surplus perdagangan bulan September terutama disebabkan karena impor yang menurun cepat dan merefleksikan lemahnya pertumbuhan investasi dan lemahnya konsumsi di negara dengan ekonomi terbesar di Asia Tenggara ini.

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Global credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service cut its forecast for economic growth in Indonesia this year from five percent (y/y) to 4.7 percent (y/y) due to the perceived hard landing of China’s economy in combination with sluggish conditions in Japan and the Eurozone. Weak demand from China, the world’s second-largest economy and the top trading partner of Indonesia, is expected to continue to plague Indonesian exports and earnings.

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For most of this year, the financial media has held a generally positive tone. There have been some exceptions in cases like the Eurozone which is still mired in a deeply divided sovereign debt crisis. But for most of the world, 2015 has been a positive period in terms of general growth in their broad trends. So it might be easy for macro investors to assume that most markets are currently establishing themselves in the bullish direction.

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For most of this year, the Indonesian rupiah has met selling pressure against the US Dollar. Year-to-date price activity in the USD/IDR shows a rise from below IDR 12,250 to new highs above IDR 13,330 per US dollar. For Indonesian export companies, this is great news as it means that their products will be cheaper for foreign consumers to buy. For the domestic economy, this creates a different set of implications as it also makes it less likely that foreign investors will be looking to buy into Indonesian assets.

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Sejak akhir 2011 Indonesia telah dibebani oleh defisit transaksi berjalan struktural yang menguatirkan baik para pembuat kebijakan maupun para investor (asing). Meskipun pihak berwenang di Indonesia telah mengimplementasikan reformasi kebijakan dan penyesuaian perekonomian di beberapa tahun terakhir, defisit transaksi berjalan Indonesia hanya sedikit berubah di 2015. Baik Bank Dunia maupun Bank Indonesia memprediksi bahwa defisit transaksi berjalan akan tetap berada sedikit di bawah 3% dari produk domestik bruto (PDB) di 2015, sangat dekat dengan batasan yang memisahkan defisit yang sustainable dan yang unsustainable.

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Kalau kita memperhatikan aktivitas jangka panjang rupiah, kita telah melihat kekuatan yang mengejutkan dalam aktivitas beberapa bulan terakhir. Hal ini mengejutkan karena beberapa alasan yang berbeda dan tidak serupa dengan keadaan pasar negara berkembang lain di Asia. Secara esensial ini menyarankan bahwa aktivitas perekonomian di wilayah ini telah agak kurang berhubungan dan bahwa trend yang tampak di satu negara tidak bisa diprediksi sama di negara lain. Namun ketika kita melihat grafik aktivitas di rupiah sendiri, kita bisa melihat trend secara umum telah mulai berubah di dua bulan terakhir.

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