Trade Minister Boosts Indonesia-Thailand Trade with Export Diversification

Trade Minister Budi Santoso has affirmed that the government continues to encourage the strengthening of bilateral trade between Indonesia and Thailand through market access expansion, export diversification, and enhanced collaboration between business actors from both countries. In a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday, he said the government is currently implementing a trade policy focused on diversifying export markets and expanding market access through the utilisation of various bilateral and regional trade agreements. Besides opening new markets, the government is also continuously improving the competitiveness of national business actors, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), so they can capitalise on export opportunities to various countries, including Thailand. “To support this strategy, Indonesia continues to strive to improve the competitiveness of our business actors, especially MSMEs. We will also strengthen the integration of Indonesian business actors, including MSMEs, into global value chains,” said Budi. According to him, this measure is expected to increase the trade value between the two countries, which reached 17.7 billion US dollars in 2025. Amid global economic uncertainty influenced by geopolitical dynamics, supply chain adjustments, climate change challenges, and technological transformation, Budi assessed that Indonesia still has strong economic prospects thanks to its large domestic market, demographic bonus, and abundant natural resources. The government, he continued, is also committed to strengthening industrial downstreaming, food security, sustainable development, and global market expansion to enhance Indonesia’s competitiveness. “These various potentials can position Indonesia as a strategic hub for production, investment, and exports,” he stated. Budi added that closer ASEAN economic integration is a necessity to maintain the region’s competitiveness. As the two largest economies in ASEAN, Indonesia and Thailand are seen as having both the opportunity and the responsibility to lead the strengthening of regional economic cooperation.