East Nusa Tenggara posts US$29.78 million trade surplus in first half of 2026

Kupang — East Nusa Tenggara posted a goods trade surplus of about US$29.78 million in the first half of 2026, driven overwhelmingly by non-oil-and-gas exports, according to the provincial office of Statistics Indonesia (BPS NTT).

BPS NTT reported that exports from the province reached roughly US$32.03 million between January and June 2026, while imports were around US$2.25 million, leaving the trade balance in surplus despite a year-on-year decline in export value, local media citing BPS data said.

Based on those figures, non-oil-and-gas trade contributed the bulk of the surplus, with oil and gas making up a much smaller share. The January–June export total was about 10.6 percent lower than in the same period of 2025, according to a regional news report that quoted BPS NTT’s release on external trade.

Exports dip overall but strengthen in June

BPS data published by local outlets show that East Nusa Tenggara’s exports in June 2026 alone were valued at roughly US$5.26 million, an increase of close to 20 percent compared with June 2025.

Within that June total, non-oil-and-gas goods accounted for about US$5 million, while oil-and-gas exports were estimated at around US$260,000. The reported year-on-year increase in oil-and-gas exports in June was steep, even though the segment remains small relative to non-oil-and-gas shipments.

For the full January–June period, non-oil-and-gas products made up the vast majority of exports from the province. BPS figures cited in regional coverage indicate that non-oil-and-gas exports represented more than 90 percent of total export value, underlining the province’s dependence on manufactured and primary goods outside the energy sector.

Processing industry leads export sectors

According to the same BPS data set, exports were dominated by the processing industry, which contributed more than four-fifths of the province’s export earnings in the first half of the year.

Agriculture was the second-largest contributor, followed by mining, reflecting East Nusa Tenggara’s mix of processed products and resource-based commodities. Local media citing BPS noted notable movements among several leading export commodity groups, including aircraft and parts, mineral fuels and vehicles.

These commodity groups recorded some of the largest increases in export value compared with the previous year, although BPS figures released in the press did not spell out the full export values for each specific group or the complete composition of the top 10 export commodities.

Timor-Leste remains key export destination

BPS NTT data show that Timor-Leste remained the dominant destination for East Nusa Tenggara’s exports in the first half of 2026, accounting for around four-fifths of total shipments by value, according to local media reports.

Exports to Timor-Leste were reported at about US$25.43 million for January–June, or just under 80 percent of the province’s total export value. Turkey ranked as the second-largest destination with around US$2.21 million in exports, followed by Japan with close to US$1 million.

BPS figures cited in the press also indicate that imports into East Nusa Tenggara fell sharply compared with the first half of 2025. Import value over January–June 2026 was reported at about US$2.25 million, a decline of roughly 45 percent year on year, with an import volume of around 6,408 tonnes. June imports alone were valued at approximately US$310,000, down about one-third from June 2025.

Provincial snapshot of external trade

The January–June 2026 data released by BPS NTT provide a provincial snapshot of goods trade, showing a continued surplus concentrated in non-oil-and-gas exports and a strong reliance on nearby Timor-Leste as the main external market.

At the same time, the figures highlight a mixed trend: overall exports in the first half weakened compared with a year earlier, while performance in June strengthened, particularly in non-oil-and-gas categories. The available provincial statistics do not break down trade flows by individual ports or by specific islands within East Nusa Tenggara, nor do they give full detail on import commodities and their countries of origin.

Sources

• Suara Merdeka NTT – Ekspor NTT Semester I 2026 Turun, Namun Kinerja Juni Menguat dan Surplus Perdagangan Tetap Terjaga
• Tribunnews Kupang – BI NTT dan Pemprov NTT Perkuat Kesiapan 50 UMKM Menembus Pasar Global