FX.co ★ Brunei Trade Surplus Hits 10-Month High

Brunei experienced a rise in its trade surplus to BND 516.9 million in January 2025, up from BND 463.1 million in the same month of the previous year. This marks the highest surplus since March 2024, driven largely by a more significant decline in imports compared to exports. Imports decreased by 16.7% year-on-year, reaching a three-month low of BND 712.6 million. This decline was mainly attributed to reductions in the purchase of mineral fuels (down 3.2%), manufactured goods (down 73.7%), and machinery and transport equipment (down 17.8%). The majority of Brunei's imports were sourced from the United Arab Emirates, making up 30.1% of the total, followed by Malaysia at 27.4%, China at 12.1%, and Australia at 9.9%.

On the export side, shipments dropped by 6.8%, totaling BND 1,229.5 million, primarily due to decreases in mineral fuels (down 4.7%) and chemicals (down 4.2%). The largest export destinations were Australia (22.0%), Japan (17.2%), China (15.8%), Singapore (11.7%), Malaysia (8.6%), and Indonesia (6.0%). Over the course of 2024, Brunei's trade surplus expanded to BND 5,295.8 million from BND 4,758.2 million in the prior year, as exports rose by 1.9% while imports declined by 2.6%.