Bhutan’s foreign reserves stand at USD 1.2 billion in June, reserves are more than double above the critical threshold: MoF

Bhutan’s foreign exchange reserves reached USD 1.2 billion (bn) at the end of June 2026, outperforming earlier third-quarter projections of USD 1.1 bn though remaining lower than initial second-quarter estimates of USD 1.32 bn.

Addressing concerns during the 30th Meet-the-Press session, Finance Minister, Lyonpo Lekey Dorji, noted that the downward revision from earlier forecasts stemmed primarily from higher anticipated import growth.

This increase was driven by rising fuel import costs, which constitute nearly 20 percent of total merchandise imports due to unforeseen geopolitical tensions, as well as currency depreciation pressures and an upward revision of informal import figures following a recent Royal Monetary Authority (RMA) border survey.

Despite these pressures, Lyonpo Lekey Dorji stated that the actual reserve position remains comfortably above the critical threshold of USD 464 million.

The current reserve level is more than twice the minimum requirement, demonstrating that the country maintains a secure external buffer.