Kadin East Java-Timor Leste strengthen trade cooperation and recycling sector collaboration

Surabaya — The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) of East Java and Timor Leste have established cooperation across multiple sectors including trade, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and investment in the recycling sector.

Tommy Kayhatu, Vice Chair of Kadin East Java for Trade and Foreign Promotion, stated that trade relations between East Java and Timor Leste during the 2021-2025 period have demonstrated positive performance.

“East Java is a strategic trading partner for Timor Leste, as we are geographically very close. Our products have continuously been exported there,” he said in Surabaya on Saturday.

According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), bilateral trade performance strengthened in 2023, with East Java’s exports to Timor Leste rising to USD 243.18 million, generating a trade surplus of USD 237.68 million.

Ricardo de Araujo, Industrial and Trade Attaché of Timor Leste, noted that as a relatively newly independent nation, Timor Leste remains in its development phase. This situation creates substantial demand for small and medium industry development, with East Java recognised as strategically positioned to support these needs.

Araujo further emphasized that MSME strengthening represents a key cooperation focus, as the current number of MSMEs in Timor Leste remains limited due to staged development implementation.