2026.09.2908:13:20UTC+00Brunei Trade Surplus Narrows in July

Brunei’s trade surplus narrowed to BND 454.1 million in July 2026 from BND 576.7 million a year earlier, as imports grew significantly faster than exports. On an annual basis, imports jumped 75.6% to BND 1.16 billion, led by sharp increases in purchases of mineral fuels (118.1%), manufactured goods (139.3%), chemicals (88.8%), and food (88.5%).

Malaysia remained Brunei’s largest import source, supplying 70.0% of total inbound shipments, followed by China (6.6%), Nigeria (5.2%), Vietnam (3.7%), and Thailand (2.3%).

Exports, meanwhile, rose 30.5% year-on-year to BND 1.61 billion, supported mainly by a 42.9% surge in mineral fuel exports. Australia was the leading export destination, accounting for 37.4% of total shipments, ahead of Singapore (14.6%), China (12.5%), and Japan (12.2%).

Despite the narrower surplus in July, Brunei recorded a trade surplus of BND 4.23 billion in the first seven months of 2026, sharply higher than BND 2.99 billion in the same period a year earlier, as exports increased 32.8% while imports rose at a slower pace of 27.5%.