JAKARTA: Indonesia’s trade surplus narrowed more than expected in May, as exports grew more slowly than predicted due to the country’s ban on palm oil shipments, data from the statistics bureau shows.

       Exports were worth U$21.51bil (RM95.1bil), up 27% from a year earlier, compared with the 38.69% growth expected in a Reuters poll. Imports grew 30.74% on a yearly basis to US$18.61bil (RM82.3bil), versus the poll’s 32.80% forecast.

       The May trade surplus was US$2.9bil (RM12.8bil), compared with the poll’s prediction of a US$3.83bil (RM16.9bil) surplus and April’s US$7.56bil (RM33.4bil) surplus. — Reuters