Jakarta (ANTARA) – Trade Minister Budi Santoso said Indonesia's trade balance deficit narrowed in June 2026 amid rising exports, particularly of non-oil and gas products.Santoso said the trade deficit stood at US$0.45 billion in June 2026, an improvement from a deficit of US$1.61 billion in May 2026, adding that the improvement showed the trade balance was starting to recover in line with rising exports.”The deficit of US$0.45 billion in June 2026 marks a decline compared to the May 2026 deficit. This means our trade balance is starting to improve along with rising exports,” Santoso said in a statement here on Tuesday.Indonesia's total exports, both oil and gas and non-oil and gas, reached US$25.46 billion in June 2026, up 9.72 percent from US$23.20 billion in May 2026.The export growth was mainly driven by non-oil and gas exports, which reached US$24.39 billion in June 2026, up 8.68 percent from US$22.45 billion in May 2026.Meanwhile, the non-oil and gas trade surplus reached US$3.04 billion in June 2026, helping narrow the overall trade deficit, which remains weighed down by the oil and gas trade.Export volume also rose, reaching 56.52 million tons in June 2026, up 3.31 percent from 54.71 million tons in May 2026.Santoso said the government continues to push for higher non-oil and gas exports to sustain Indonesia's trade performance, including through expanding export markets and creating new exporters.”The Trade Ministry continues to push for export growth, including through expanding export markets and creating new exporters, to maintain the surplus,” he said.Indonesia's trade balance for the January-June 2026 period recorded a surplus of US$3.58 billion, supported by a non-oil and gas trade surplus of US$19.35 billion, while oil and gas trade posted a deficit of US$15.77 billion.”Our exports in January-June 2026 grew 4.13 percent, and cumulatively we still recorded a surplus of US$3.58 billion,” he added.