FX.co ★ Brunei Trade Surplus Falls to Near 2-Year Low

In May 2025, Brunei's trade surplus declined significantly to BND 252.3 million from BND 404.5 million in the same month the previous year. This marks the smallest trade surplus since a deficit was recorded in June 2023, attributed to exports diminishing at a faster rate than imports amid increasing global trade barriers. Exports fell sharply by 27.7% year-over-year, reaching an 11-month low of BND 1,027.9 million. This decline was primarily due to reduced shipments of mineral fuels, which plummeted by 33.8%, as well as decreases in chemicals by 9.9% and machinery and transport equipment by 5.5%. Major export destinations included China, capturing 19.4% of the total, followed by Australia at 17.1%, South Korea at 10.9%, Taiwan at 9.6%, and Singapore at 7.7%. On the import side, there was a 23.7% decline to BND 775.6 million, largely driven by decreased demand for mineral fuels, down by 30.4%, manufactured goods by 13.1%, and machinery and transport equipment by 10.5%. Malaysia remained the foremost source of imports, accounting for 39.6%, with Russia at 24.3%, China at 6.8%, Australia at 4.9%, and Vietnam at 4.1%. For the period from January to May, the trade surplus contracted to BND 2.12 billion from BND 2.49 billion in the previous year.