The United States and Brunei engage regularly on trade and investment issues, including under our 2002 Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. The latest information regarding significant trade barriers can be found in the 2021 National Trade Estimate Report, see here.
Economic and Trade Statistics
In 2020, Brunei GDP was an estimated $10.6 billion (current market exchange rates); real GDP was up by an estimated 0.1 percent; and the population was 461 thousand. (Source: IMF)
U.S. goods and services trade with Brunei totaled an estimated $262 million in 2020. Exports were $173 million; imports were $89 million. The U.S. goods and services trade surplus with Brunei was $84 million in 2020.
Brunei is currently our 137th largest goods trading partner with $203 million in total (two way) goods trade during 2020. Goods exports totaled $120 million; goods imports totaled $83 million. The U.S. goods trade surplus with Brunei was $37 million in 2020.
Trade in services with Brunei (exports and imports) totaled an estimated $59 million in 2020. Services exports were $53 million; services imports were $6 million. The U.S. services trade surplus with Brunei was $47 million in 2020.
According to the Department of Commerce, U.S. exports of goods and services to Brunei supported an estimated 2 thousand jobs in 2019 (latest data available) (1 thousand supported by goods exports and 3 hundred supported by services exports).
Exports
• Brunei was the United States' 137th largest goods export market in 2020.
• U.S. goods exports to Brunei in 2020 were $120 million, down 58.3 percent ($168 million) from 2019 and down 3 percent from 2010.
• The top export categories (2-digit HS) in 2020 were: machinery ($66 million), aircraft ($11 million), special other (low value shipments) ($9 million), electrical machinery ($5 million), and optical and medical instruments ($5 million).
• U.S. total exports of agricultural products to Brunei totaled $4 million in 2020. Leading domestic export categories include: processed vegetables ($1 million), bakery goods, cereals, and pasta ($819 thousand), chocolate and cocoa products ($358 thousand), condiments and sauces ($346 thousand), and hay ($282 thousand).
• U.S. exports of services to Brunei were an estimated $53 million in 2020, 20.9 percent ($14 million) less than 2019, but 22 percent less than 2010 levels. Leading services exports from the U.S. to Brunei were in the financial services, maintenance and repair services, and maintenance and repair services sectors.
Imports
• Brunei was the United States' 125th largest supplier of goods imports in 2020.
• U.S. goods imports from Brunei totaled $83 million in 2020, up 100.6 percent ($42 million) from 2019, and up 600 percent from 2010.
• The top import categories (2-digit HS) in 2020 were: mineral fuels ($58 million), special other (returns and repairs) ($16 million), iron and steel products ($3 million), knit apparel ($3 million), and organic chemicals ($2 million).
• U.S. total imports of agricultural products from Brunei totaled $46 thousand in 2020.
• U.S. imports of services from Brunei were an estimated $6 million in 2020, 50.0 percent ($6 million) less than 2019, but 73 percent less than 2010 levels. Leading services imports from Brunei to the U.S. were in the financial services, travel, and travel sectors.
Trade Balance
• The U.S. goods trade surplus with Brunei was $37 million in 2020, a 85.0 percent decrease ($210 million) over 2019.
• The United States has a services trade surplus of an estimated $47 million with Brunei in 2020, down 16.1 percent from 2019.
Investment
• U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) in Brunei (stock) was $11 million in 2020, a 26.7 percent decrease from 2019. There is no information on the distribution of U.S. FDI in Brunei.
• Data on Brunei's FDI in the U.S. are not available.
• Sales of services in Brunei by majority U.S.-owned affiliates were $136 million in 2018 (latest data available). There were no sales of services in the United States by majority Brunei owned firms in 2018.
