Indonesia Competing Against Malaysia to Dominate US Processed Cocoa Market

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Indonesian cocoa products have received positive news from the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) between the Indonesian government and the United States, which includes cocoa products in a list of 1,819 products receiving zero-percent import tariffs into the US.

Jason Sutjiawan, Secretary General of the Indonesian Cocoa Association, stated that the government’s efforts to secure zero-percent tariffs for a number of important Indonesian commodities represent the government’s attention to 1.2 million farmers and cocoa business operators.

The United States is one of the important markets for Indonesian processed cocoa products, including cocoa butter, which achieved exports of USD 35 million tonnes in 2025.

Nevertheless, Indonesia faces stiff competition with Malaysia in supplying processed cocoa, given that the neighbouring country possesses cocoa processing facilities for export. The development and challenges facing Indonesia’s cocoa processing industry remain significant considerations for market competitiveness.