As President Prabowo Subianto and Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming\nRaka enter the third year of their administration, the Trade Ministry\u2019s\nmain challenge is to ensure that these positive gains continue\nconsistently.<\/p>\n
Jakarta (ANTARA) \u2013 Products from villages are now targeting\ninternational markets. Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)\nare no longer relying solely on the domestic market, but are expanding\noverseas through a range of export facilitation programmes.<\/p>\n
This momentum is one indication of the direction of Indonesia\u2019s trade\npolicy during the first two years of President Prabowo Subianto and\nVice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka\u2019s administration.<\/p>\n
Amid economic uncertainty and shifting global geopolitics, the\ngovernment is continuing its efforts to sustain export growth while\nbroadening local businesses\u2019 access to world markets.<\/p>\n
Trade Minister Budi Santoso said Indonesia\u2019s trade sector continued\nto show positive trends, both in the stability of prices for essential\ngoods and in export performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough global challenges are considerable, the trade sector\u2019s\nperformance continues to grow positively,\u201d Budi told ANTARA in Jakarta\non Friday.<\/p>\n
Budi stressed that managing trade is not solely about increasing\nexports. The government must also ensure the availability of essential\ngoods at affordable prices, while widening access for local products to\ncompete in global markets.<\/p>\n
Despite various challenges in global trade, Indonesia\u2019s exports\ncontinued to grow. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data show that national\nexports reached US$282.91 billion in 2025, up 6.15 per cent from\nUS$266.51 billion in 2024.<\/p>\n
The positive trend continued in January\u2013August 2026, when exports\nreached US$193.64 billion, an increase of 4.74 per cent. Over the same\nperiod, Indonesia again recorded a trade surplus, of US$7.25\nbillion.<\/p>\n
Budi said these results were a strong indication that Indonesian\ntrade remained resilient amid global uncertainty.<\/p>\n
Even so, the key challenge ahead is to sustain this growth without\nrelying on particular commodities or markets. Expanding export\ndestinations and increasing the added value of products are crucial to\nstrengthening national competitiveness.<\/p>\n
Trade agreements play a strategic role in this effort. Deals with\npartner countries can open market access, reduce tariff barriers and\ngive Indonesian products greater scope to compete.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has implemented 25 trade agreements, while 13 others remain\nunder negotiation. The government is also seeking to conclude talks with\nthe Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in the Middle East and exploring\ncooperation with Mercosur, the South American trade and regional\nintegration bloc.<\/p>\n
According to Budi, opening market access does not always have to wait\nfor regional agreements, which can take a long time. Bilateral\ndiscussions can provide an effective first step towards broader\ncooperation.<\/p>\n
He cited Indonesia\u2019s bilateral cooperation with the United Arab\nEmirates (UAE), which was concluded as the country sought to expand its\npresence in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe task ahead is really to increase the number of trade agreements\nand open up market access, while also improving the competitiveness of\ndomestic products,\u201d he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/from-price-stability-to-smes-breaking-into-global-markets-1792122768", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }