Government Strengthens MSME Assistance in Navigating Export Regulations

The Ministry of Trade is continuing to strengthen assistance for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to enable them to meet the various export requirements imposed by destination countries. Director of Export Development for Services and Creative Products at the Ministry of Trade, Ari Satria, stated that regulations for primary product exports, such as food, beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, tend to be stricter compared to non-food products because they directly concern human health. “In destination countries, the regulations, because they concern human health, will certainly be more complicated than if we export furniture or handicrafts,” Ari said in Jakarta on Sunday. According to him, business operators need to understand various provisions, ranging from food safety certification and halal certificates to other standards required by each destination country. “Our MSME colleagues must be equipped with various certifications that must comply with their export destination countries,” he said. In addition to providing briefings to business operators, the Ministry of Trade is also actively socialising various new regulations developing in the global market, including rules regarding sustainability and the environment. Ari cited several policies that are now of concern to exporters, such as the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) governing plantation products and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) related to carbon emissions. “We certainly have to socialise regulations abroad to our fellow export actors. Not only MSMEs, large companies also sometimes still need to be given understanding,” he said. He added that the assistance is also provided through the network of Indonesian trade representatives abroad who provide input regarding certification and additional requirements before products are marketed to destination countries. According to Ari, this step is part of the government’s efforts to increase the readiness of national exporters so that Indonesian products do not encounter administrative obstacles or rejection when entering the international market. “The task of trade representatives, besides promotion, is to create market intelligence. They must know the market potential, its regulations, import tariffs, competitors, and consumer behaviour,” Ari said.