Trading Partner Portal: Brunei Darussalam
Overview
Trade Overview
Brunei Darussalam is a high income and well-educated country in Southeastern Asia. Brunei has a population of 445,373 people and a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of $16 billion.
Brunei was a British protectorate until independence in 1984 and has vast natural gas and petroleum fields. In fact, Brunei’s largest exports are mineral fuels and organic chemicals. Brunei exports heavily to other countries in the Pacific that are closer geographically, including, Japan, South Korea, and Australia. World Bank
U.S. – Brunei Trade
The U.S. exported approximately $127 million worth of goods to Brunei in 2024. The largest export to Brunei was non-electrical equipment, which was valued around $38 million. Other major U.S. exports to Brunei were transportation equipment ($23 million), chemicals ($14 million), special classification provisions ($13 million), and computer and electronic products ($13 million). U.S. Department of Commerce
In the same year, the U.S. imported approximately $239 million worth of goods from Brunei. Imports included chemicals ($174 million), petroleum & coal products ($ 42 million), good returned ($10 million), apparel &accessories ($4 million), and primary metals manufactures ($4 million). U.S. Department of Commerce
Brunei Darussalam -California Trade
In the United States, California is one of the top states in the U.S. for exporting and importing to Brunei. In 2024, California exported roughly $7 million in goods to Brunei. Non-electrical machinery was the top export at $3 million. This was followed by computer & electronic products ($1 million), processed foods ($1 million), waste and scrap ($1 million), and chemicals at less than $1 million.
California imported $53 million worth of goods form Brunei in 2024. Petroleum & coal products were the top import category, coming in at $42 million. This was followed by chemicals ($9 million), apparel and accessories ($1 million), fabricated metals ($1 million), and non-electrical machinery at less than $1 million.
U.S. Department of Commerce
FDI – Brunei Darussalam
U.S. FDI into Brunei totaled $10 million in 2021 and FDI from Brunei into the U.S. totaled $476 million in the same year (Bureau of Economic Analysis).
Current News
WTO Trade Policy Review: Brunei Darussalam – 2024
Trade Agreements
Trade Agreements and Issues
Trans-Pacific Partnership
The Trans-Pacific Partnership was signed by the participating countries, including the US and Brunei Darussalam, on February 4th, 2016. The deal signed in Auckland, New Zealand sets the rules for global trade in the Pacific region. The partnership aims to promote economic growth through the liberalization of trade, and create new opportunities for businesses and workers. For the U.S. specifically, TPP promises to bring American economic progress through increases in exports of American products, the creation of more American jobs, and overall benefits to the middle class. TPP would eliminate over 18,000 taxes on American manufactured products and include strong environmental and worker protections in the agreement.