Brunei's huge trade surpluses have enabled it to maintain an enviable payments position. Foreign exchange reserves stood at about US$20 billion in 1986, or more than US$87,000 per capita. In 1997, foreign reserves were estimated at $40 billion.
Principal trading partners in 1998 (in millions of US dollars) were as follows:
| COUNTRY | EXPORTS | IMPORTS | BALANCE |
| Japan | 1,225 | 101 | 1,124 |
| Korea | 414 | 22 | 392 |
| United States | 210 | 235 | -25 |
| Singapore | 181 | 356 | -175 |
| Thailand | 141 | 68 | 73 |
| Malaysia | 19 | 265 | -246 |
| United Kingdom | 16 | 104 | -88 |
| Germany | 13 | 50 | -37 |
| Indonesia | 5 | 53 | -48 |
| China | 4 | 91 | -87 |