FX.co ★ Brunei Trade Surplus Narrows in March

In March 2025, Brunei experienced a reduction in its trade surplus, which decreased to BND 495.0 million from BND 546.4 million in March of the previous year. This decline was primarily attributed to a sharper fall in imports compared to exports, amidst challenges posed by increasing trade barriers. Imports contracted by 11.2% year-on-year, amounting to BND 760.0 million. This drop was largely due to reduced purchases in categories such as mineral fuels (-9.3%), chemicals (-28.9%), and machinery and transport equipment (-21.9%). Malaysia was the leading source of imports, accounting for 27.3% of the total, followed by Russia (14.4%), Nigeria (14.0%), and Papua New Guinea (9.0%). On the other hand, exports fell by 10.5% to BND 1,255 million. Declines were noted in exports of mineral fuels (-10.5%), chemicals (-10.0%), manufactured goods (-28.6%), and machinery and transport equipment (-22.5%). China was the principal export destination, receiving 20.0% of Brunei's exports, followed by Australia (15.4%), Japan (14.2%), and Thailand (12.5%). For the first quarter of 2025, Brunei's trade surplus contracted to BND 1.48 billion, compared to BND 1.70 billion during the same period in 2024.