Barantin and Chile strengthen SPS cooperation, expand commodity trade
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) and Chile’s Ministry of Agriculture are strengthening sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) cooperation to expand trade in agricultural and fisheries commodities while maintaining the health requirements of both countries.
Barantin Principal Secretary Shahandra Hanitiyo said the cooperation covers SPS information exchange, electronic certification, risk analysis, inspection and certification, as well as technical and laboratory capacity building.
“Strengthening SPS cooperation is becoming increasingly strategic to ensure that these economic opportunities can be utilised optimally while maintaining a high level of protection for animal, fish and plant health, and food safety,” Shahandra said in an official statement received in Jakarta on Friday.
The strengthening of cooperation was discussed in a bilateral meeting between Shahandra and Chile’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture Francesco Venezian in Jakarta on Friday.
The meeting was a follow-up to the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Quarantine Measures and Certification signed by Indonesia and Chile in 2025.
According to Shahandra, SPS cooperation is becoming more strategic as trade opportunities open up through the Indonesia-Chile Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IC-CEPA).
Ministry of Trade data recorded total trade between Indonesia and Chile in January-June 2026 at US$277.4 million, or Rp4.91 trillion.
Indonesia’s exports were recorded at US$219.8 million, or around Rp3.89 trillion, while imports reached US$57.6 million, or around Rp1.02 trillion, giving Indonesia a surplus of US$162.2 million, or around Rp2.87 trillion.
Throughout 2025, total trade between the two countries reached US$534.9 million, or around Rp9.47 trillion, consisting of Indonesian exports of US$440.8 million, or around Rp7.81 trillion, and imports of US$94 million, or around Rp1.66 trillion, resulting in a trade surplus of US$346.8 million, or around Rp6.14 trillion.
The trade relationship between the two countries is considered to have a complementary character with opportunities for developing exports and imports of a number of agricultural and fisheries commodities.
Venezian expressed appreciation for the cooperation between Chile’s Ministry of Agriculture and Barantin. According to him, the collaboration is important to strengthen bilateral relations while supporting safe trade in agricultural and fisheries commodities that meet health requirements.
Barantin noted that Indonesia in 2025 also still recorded a trade surplus specifically for animal, fish and plant commodities with Chile.
One of the main commodities imported by Indonesia from Chile is raw salmon fish oil, which is used as raw material for fish feed to support the domestic aquaculture industry.
In addition, a number of Indonesian commodities are considered to have opportunities for expanded exports to Chile, including palm oil, coconut oil, cocoa powder and canned pineapple.
Indonesia and Chile also welcomed the completion of technical negotiations on the Phytosanitary Requirements Protocol for the export of fresh Chilean fruit to Indonesia originating from Fruit Fly Pest Free Areas (FF-PFA).
In the meeting, Barantin’s Deputy for Plant Quarantine and Chile’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture signed the protocol, which is expected to provide technical certainty for the entry of fresh Chilean fruit into Indonesia.
The protocol also strengthens efforts to prevent the entry of quarantine plant pest organisms into Indonesian territory.
Going forward, Barantin is directing cooperation between the two countries towards more concrete technical steps, including the development of electronic certification, exchange of experience on biosecurity and pest and disease surveillance, and human resource capacity building.
Cooperation is also directed at accelerating the completion of market access for agricultural and fisheries commodities of interest to Indonesia and Chile.
Barantin hopes that the strengthened cooperation will not only support the protection of biological resources and food security, but also expand trade in safe, healthy and sustainable agricultural and fisheries commodities.