Strait of Hormuz Closed, Trade Ministry Seeks to Fill Gaps in Southeast Asia and Africa

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Trade Minister Budi Santoso is targeting market vacancies in several countries as a result of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the busiest trade routes in the Middle East, especially for goods moving to and from Gulf states. The closure of the route has sparked disruptions to the global supply chain. ‘We want to take advantage of that, yes, the areas that are empty, but we must also be careful,’ said Budi at the Ministry of Trade, Jakarta, on Thursday (5 May 2026). The government sees this situation as opening opportunities for Indonesia. A country that has relied on supplies from the Gulf region faces import gaps. ‘When a market in another country is not supplied by the usual suppliers, the suppliers that have been there are, well, empty,’ said Budi. The Ministry of Trade emphasises the importance of surveys before entering new markets. The government wants to ensure that the needs and characteristics of the market align with domestic products. One commodity encouraged into these markets is micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Busan regards small-scale enterprises as more flexible for new exports in the short term. ‘MSMEs mostly export for the first time, so in the short term, which markets can they enter,’ he said. ‘Now in February we, with the Director-General, have mapped out which countries such as Southeast Asia, then Africa, we will enter to fill the gaps,’ said Busan. The Iran-Israel-US conflict has spilled into the Gulf region. The situation has heated up after Iran’s spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed as a result of an Israeli strike. Iran subsequently attacked U.S. military bases and intelligence offices in several Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Jordan. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday (28 Feb 2026).