rki.news | Sources Xinhua
SINGAPORE: The ASEAN-5 economies of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam recorded a combined trade surplus of $156.6 billion in 2025, extending an 11-year growth trend, according to UOB Global Economics and Markets Research.
The research house said the group’s trade surplus maintained an upward trajectory since 2014, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.3 percent.
Intra-ASEAN trade remained strong, generating a $63 billion surplus, supported by increasingly integrated regional supply chains.
UOB said greater regional integration could strengthen industrial upgrading, value-added production and supply-chain resilience, enhancing ASEAN’s role in global trade and investment.
The research noted that each economy contributes different strengths. Indonesia leads in resource-based exports and downstream manufacturing, while Singapore serves as a regional trading and refining hub. Malaysia has expanded in electronics and commodities, Thailand remains a major automotive production base, and Vietnam continues to grow as a global manufacturing platform.
UOB revised its long-term ASEAN trade projections higher after a stronger-than-expected 13.7 percent expansion in 2025, driven by electronics and semiconductor demand linked to artificial intelligence.
Total ASEAN trade is projected to reach $6.6 trillion by 2030 and exceed $9 trillion by 2035.