JAKARTA (Nov 2): Indonesia's trade surplus narrowed to US$3.36 billion (RM13.66 billion) in September, official data showed on Monday, still much higher than the US$1.9 billion surplus forecast in a Reuters poll.

Southeast Asia's largest economy posted a US$3.55 billion trade surplus a month earlier.

Resource-rich Indonesia has benefitted from rising prices of some of its top commodity exports this year, with some gains driven by rising global crude prices caused by the Middle East conflict. However, as a net oil importer, its import bills have also soared.

Exports rose 11.87% on a yearly basis in September to US$27.59 billion, supported by shipments of processed palm oil, nickel and aluminium. A Reuters poll of analysts had expected a 6.45% increase.

Imports increased 18.41% to $24.23 billion, compared with the poll forecast of a 20.83% surge.

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