Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.

Latest Reports Trade

  • Indonesian Banks’ Non-Performing Loans Rising Sharply in Four Sectors

    Although Deputy Governor of the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia), Halim Alamsyah, said that the non-performing loan (NPL) level in Indonesia’s banking sector is currently safe at 2.24 percent (well below the five percent threshold which is considered safe), the institution has been monitoring the high level of NPLs in four sectors: construction, trade, mining and social services. The bank will study why the ratio has been growing - whether it is a temporary phenomenon or not - and search the correct policy approach to address this issue.

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  • Bank Indonesia’s Dilemma: Reducing or Maintaining the BI Rate at 7.50%?

    There are mixed opinions about the interest rate policy of the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia). Tomorrow (11/09), at the Board of Governor’s Meeting, the central bank will decide whether or not to change the country’s interest rates. Indonesia’s benchmark interest rate (BI rate) has been held at 7.50 percent for ten consecutive months. This relatively high figure managed to ease high inflation (which emerged after prices of subsidized fuel prices were raised in June 2013). However, it also further slowed economic growth.

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  • Economic Data of Indonesia: Inflation, Trade Balance & Manufacturing

    As expected, the pace of inflation in Indonesia eased in August 2014. On Monday (01/09), Statistics Indonesia announced that August inflation reached 0.47 percent, implying that on a year-on-year basis inflation eased to 3.99 percent from 4.53 percent in the previous month. Meanwhile, Indonesia posted a USD $124 million trade surplus in July 2014 mainly due to declining imports of machinery and mechanical instruments. The country’s manufacturing activity, however, contracted in August for the first time in a year.

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  • EU and Indonesian Trade Ministry Launch Online Portal to Support Export

    The European Union (EU) and Indonesia’s Trade Ministry have cooperated to develop an online portal (www.inatrims.kemendag.go.id/en) in an effort to assist Indonesian businesses that want to export their products to the European Union. This portal website is intended to guide exporting companies by providing various information on relevant market requirements and regulations. The portal - called Indonesia Technical Regulations Information Management System (INATRIMS) - was launched on Thursday (28/08).

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  • Indonesia Investments' Newsletter of 17 August 2014 Released

    On 17 August 2014, Indonesia Investments released the latest edition of its newsletter. This free newsletter, which is sent to our subscribers once per week, contains the most important news stories from Indonesia that have been reported on our website in the last seven days. Most of the topics involve economic topics such as the performance of the rupiah exchange rate, plantations, Freeport Indonesia, economic growth, electricity, property, guidelines for the construction of a PT PMA, and more.

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  • Indonesia Trade Balance June 2014: Recording a USD $300 Million Deficit

    The trade balance of Indonesia swung back into a deficit in June 2014. According to data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), published on Monday (04/08), the country’s trade deficit amounted to USD $300 million in June. Indonesian exports grew 4.45 percent (year on year) to USD $15.42 billion, while Indonesian imports increased 1.83 percent (year on year) to USD $15.72 billion. This year so far (the January to June period), Southeast Asia’s largest economy has to cope with a USD $1.15 billion trade deficit.

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  • Bank Indonesia Expects USD $600 Million Trade Surplus in April 2014

    The Governor of Indonesia’s central bank (Bank Indonesia), Agus Martowardojo, expects that the country’s trade balance will post a surplus of around USD $600 million in April 2014, roughly similar to the surplus that was recorded one month earlier (USD $673 million). The April 2014 surplus would be supported by an improvement in non-oil & gas exports, stable commodity prices (particularly coal and crude palm oil/CPO), as well as the waning influence of the Minerba Act.

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  • Current Account Deficit of Indonesia Eases to USD $4.2 Billion in Q1-2014

    The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) announced that the improving trend of the current account deficit continued in the first quarter (January-March) of 2014. The current account deficit fell from USD $4.3 billion, equivalent to 2.12 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in the fourth quarter of 2013 to USD $4.2 billion (2.06 percent of GDP) in Q1-2014. This improvement was brought about due to a decrease in imports of goods and the narrowing deficits in the services and income accounts.

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  • Unemployment in Indonesia Declines to 5.70% of the Total Labor Force

    On Monday (05/05), Statistics Indonesia announced that unemployment in Indonesia declined to 5.70 percent (of the total labor force) in February 2014, equivalent to 7.2 million people in absolute terms. Compared to August 2013 (when Indonesia's unemployment rate was 6.17 percent), this constitutes a marked improvement. However, growth was limited compared to February 2013 (when unemployment was 5.82 percent), Data on Indonesia's (un)employment are released twice per year, covering conditions in the months February and August.

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  • Indonesia Trade Balance Update: USD $673 Million Surplus in March 2014

    Indonesia's March 2014 trade balance recorded a surplus of USD $673 million as the value of exports reached USD $15.21 billion, while imports stood at USD $14.54 billion. It was the second consecutive monthly trade surplus for Indonesia. In February 2014, the country posted an USD $843.4 million trade surplus. In the first three months of this year, Indonesia's trade balance now accumulated to an USD $1.07 billion surplus. Market participants will be pleased to see this balance as it eases pressures on the current account deficit.

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Latest Columns Trade

  • Trade Deficit of Indonesia in 2014 Expected to Remain USD $4 Billion

    Statistics Indonesia (BPS), a non-departmental government institute, expects that Indonesia's trade balance will post a deficit of around USD $4 billion in 2014. The key question is whether increased manufacturing and agricultural exports can replace reduced raw mineral exports. The forecast of BPS is approximately similar to the country's trade deficit in 2013. Last year, Southeast Asia's largest economy recorded a deficit of USD $4.06 billion as the total value of exports amounted to USD $182.57 billion, while imports reached USD $186.63 billion.

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  • Despite December Trade Surplus Indonesia Posted $4.06B Deficit in 2013

    In the last month of 2013, Indonesia's trade balance posted a surplus of USD $1.52 billion, almost twice as high as economists had previously predicted. The December surplus implied Indonesia's third consecutive monthly trade surplus and fifth monthly trade surplus in full year 2013. However, considering the whole year, the trade balance still posted a deficit of USD $4.06 billion in 2013 as the total value of exports amounted to USD $182.57 billion while imports reached USD $186.63 billion.

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  • Analysis: What Caused Indonesia's Slowing Economic Growth in 2013

    On Wednesday 5 February 2014, Statistics Indonesia (BPS, a non-departmental government institute) is expected to release Indonesia's official GDP growth figure for the year 2013. It is estimated that the outcome will be the lowest GDP growth figure since 2009 when Southeast Asia's largest economy grew 4.6 percent after feeling the impact of the global financial crisis. In 2013, again, Indonesia felt the negative influence of external troubles. And in combination with domestic factors, Indonesia's economic growth is expected to be around 5.7 percent in 2013.

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  • Official Press Release Bank Indonesia: Interest Rates Left Unchanged

    Today, Bank Indonesia kept its benchmark interest rate (BI rate) at 7.50 percent at the Board of Governors’ meeting. The lending facility rate and deposit facility rate were maintained at 7.50 percent and 5.75 percent respectively. An assessment of the economy in 2013 and outlook for 2014-2015 indicated that such policy is consistent with ongoing efforts to keep inflation within the target of 4.5±1 percent in 2014 and 4±1 percent in 2015, as well as to help reduce the current account deficit to a sustainable level.

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  • Indonesia's Trade and Inflation Data Cause Positive Start of the Year

    Again positive news for Indonesia's trade balance. Last week, Statistics Indonesia announced that the largest economy of Southeast Asia posted a USD $776.8 million trade surplus in November 2013 (the largest monthly trade surplus since March 2012). After the (revised) USD $24 million trade surplus in October 2013, November was the second straight month in which the country posted a surplus. This development is important to gain investors' confidence as Indonesia's current account deficit has been a major cause for concern.

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  • Overview of the Performance of Indonesia's Stock Market in 2013

    As we approach the end of 2013 it is worth taking a look back to the performance of the stock market of Indonesia this year. At the start of the year, investors and analysts were positive that the country's benchmark stock index (known as the IHSG or Jakarta Composite Index) would post steady growth. Initial forecasts claimed that the IHSG could surpass the 5,000 points level by the end of 2013 from 4,300 at end-2012. The actual performance of the IHSG in fact exceeded expectations as in May 2013 the index moved beyond 5,200 points.

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  • Bank Indonesia: Current Account Deficit Will Continue to Ease in 2014

    The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) estimates that Indonesia's current account deficit will ease to 3.5 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of 2013. Indonesia's wide current account deficit has been one of the major financial troubles this year and managed to weaken investors' confidence in Southeast Asia's largest economy. Thus, Indonesia became one of the hardest hit emerging countries after the Federal Reserve started to speculate about an ending to its quantitative easing program.

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  • Indonesia's October 2013 Trade Surplus Provides a Glimmer of Hope

    Although widespread concerns about Indonesia's prolonged trade deficit (and current account deficit) are far from unfounded, the country's October 2013 trade data show a positive result. On Monday (02/12), Statistics Indonesia announced that Southeast Asia's largest economy posted a small trade surplus of USD $42.4 million in October after having recorded a trade deficit of USD $810 million in the previous month. This calender year (January to October 2013), the trade deficit has accumulated to USD $6.36 billion.

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  • Indonesia Financial Market Update: Indonesia's Current Account Deficit

    Currently, one of Indonesia's main financial issues (and one which puts serious pressures on the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate) is the country's wide current account deficit. According to data from Statistics Indonesia, Indonesia's current account deficit totaled USD $8.4 billion in the third quarter of 2013. This figure is equivalent to a whopping 3.8 percent of Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP). Generally, a current account deficit that exceeds 2.5 percent of GDP is considered unsustainable.

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  • The Netherlands Sends Largest Ever Trade Mission to Indonesia

    This week, a group of Dutch politicians and businessmen, led by prime minister Mark Rutte, will pay a four day visit to Indonesia. The aim of the visit is to smoothen bilateral relations and search for business opportunities between both countries. This Dutch group, which includes more than one hundred Dutch company delegates, forms the largest Dutch trade delegation that has visited Southeast Asia's biggest economy in the modern history. However, relations between the Netherlands and Indonesia are still complex today.

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