Barantin: Smooth Trade Must Go Hand in Hand with Protection

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The head of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin), Abdul Kadir Karding, said the smooth flow of trade must go hand in hand with protecting the commodities and products being traded.

“Smooth trade must go hand in hand with the protection of biological natural resources and the health of animals, fish and plants, as well as preventing the entry and spread of pests and diseases that could threaten the sustainability of the agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors,” Kadir said on the sidelines of the 2026 Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) in South Tangerang on Friday.

He said that increasing trade, particularly exports of agricultural, fisheries, livestock and plantation commodities, requires not only market access but also compliance with requirements for product health, safety, quality and traceability.

This needs to be strengthened through co-operation with relevant stakeholders, including the Ministry of Trade.

“Barantin supports stronger co-operation with the Ministry of Trade to ensure the smooth flow of trade while continuing to meet quarantine requirements,” Kadir said.

He stressed that effective co-ordination and information-sharing between the two agencies should enable more integrated services, provide greater certainty for businesses and help ensure compliance with trade and quarantine requirements.

“Through this co-operation, we also want to ensure that businesses, particularly micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, receive facilitation and guidance in meeting quarantine requirements, giving them a greater opportunity to reach wider markets,” he said.

Kadir added that co-operation between Barantin and the Ministry of Trade would cover several important areas.

“These include the exchange and use of data and information, support for MSMEs, joint analysis and policy recommendations, stronger access to export markets, the development of commodity traceability systems, stronger networks of food-testing laboratories, and human resource capacity-building,” he said.