Trade protectionism has become a new normal that economists say Indonesia will have to navigate carefully this year through market diversification.

Indonesia’s banking sector had a tough time in 2025 due to several challenges, mostly stemming from weaker domestic demand. A struggling middle-to-low-income class has put pressure on banks from the assets and liability side.

Inflation in 2025 reached the highest level in three years, spurred by increasing prices for various food commodities but also for gold, as the precious metal reached record highs in a world marked by uncertainty.

The US$2.66 billion surplus in November extended the country’s run of monthly surpluses to 67 consecutive months.

The dumping margin for Indonesian hot-rolled deformed steel rebar was just 1.3 percent, well below the 2 percent de minimis threshold required to impose duties.

Venezuela, whose President Nicolas Maduro was captured by US forces on Saturday, according to US President Donald Trump, has the world's largest oil reserves.

S&P Global's latest manufacturing PMI report showed the December reading slipped 2.1 points to 51.2 from the previous month, though it noted that surveyed firms anticipated a pickup in demand in the new year.

Despite a slowdown in the first nine months of 2025, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa says Indonesia’s economy could outpace the government’s own budget assumption.

China's economy is expected to have grown "around 5 percent" in 2025, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday, despite "pressure" during a year he described as "very unusual", state media reported.

The comments followed a statement by Coordinating Economy Minister Airlangga Hartarto on Friday that manufactured products such as garments and textiles would receive no exemption from the United states' 19 percent tariff.

Domestic players must adapt agilely and effectively to a noticeable shift in segment-specific consumer behavior amid weaker purchasing power, whether to more affordable products or reduced spending, including strategic marketing that takes a balanced approach to incorporating both online and offline channels.

An INDEF economist has said the loan growth target must aim for a higher target of 15-16 percent next year rather than 8-12 percent at present to boost GDP.

Bali Governor I Wayan Koster attributed the decline to a reduced number of domestic flights, noting that several aircraft operated by national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia and its subsidiary Citilink are currently undergoing maintenance  

The first full year under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto was marked by pronounced changes in budget allocations and a shift toward pro-growth fiscal policy, but amid external and internal challenges, this has yet to reflect in GDP figures.

The chief negotiator for Jakarta’s reciprocal tariff deal with Washington says the US tariff exemptions apply to natural resource commodities, hence textiles and textile products are excluded by default.

The Japanese government approved a record budget for the upcoming fiscal year on Friday, to pay for everything from bigger defense spending to ballooning social security costs as inflation persists.

Among the non-essential expenditures targeted by the joint circular signed by the finance and home ministers are ceremonial activities, official trips with “non-measurable” outputs and regional grants disbursed to other institutions.

The incident is the latest in a series of rejected shipments following contamination alerts, with authorities previously identifying at least 24 companies in and around KIMC as having been exposed to Cs-137.

The East Asian superpower has the world's largest rail network – one-fifth longer than the circumference of the earth.

Starting April 2026, the government will not roll out diesel fuel import allocations for private companies, as it anticipates a surplus of approximately 4 million kiloliters of the fuel driven by the upgraded Pertamina refinery and B50 biodiesel policy.

Retailers are seeing a later-than-usual pickup in seasonal sales this year as consumers appear more cautious with their spending, while industry associations say the delayed momentum could carry over past the year-end and into early 2026.

Indonesia has signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) to diversify exports and secure a stronger foothold in a promising “nontraditional market” of nearly 200 million people.

The United States wants access to Indonesia's critical minerals and has agreed to give tariff exemptions to its palm oil, tea and coffee, says senior economic minister Airlangga Hartarto. 

The past three years show that Indonesia’s consumption has moved through distinct phases, shaped not only by how much people spend, but by how they choose to spend it.

Malaysia's Malacca state is again moving to revive a plan to build a cross-strait bridge linking it and Indonesia's Riau province, with a new feasibility study set to commence 30 years after the megaproject was originally proposed.

Foreign tourist arrivals are expected to remain below pre-pandemic levels, even as the sector shows steady post-pandemic recovery. Experts point to intensifying competition from neighboring countries, limited diversification beyond popular destinations such as Bali and a lack of “major breakthroughs” in promoting Indonesian tourism.  

In the shadow of Indonesia’s crackdown on imported secondhand clothing, a quieter, more exclusive form of thrifting continues to operate at the margins of legality.

Indonesia’s technical team, tasked with the legal drafting process, has arrived in the US capital about a week ago to pave the way for Coordinating Economy Minister Airlangga Hartarto.

State revenue reached just 82.1 percent of the full-year outlook in November, down 5.67 percent from the same period last year, while the budget deficit stood at 2.35 percent of GDP, noticeably higher than October's 2.02 percent, though the finance minister said this was "within manageable limits".

The pipeline will link gas sources in Java and Sumatra to key industrial zones across Aceh, North Sumatra and Riau, and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027.