Trade Minister Budi Encourages Indonesian Tyre Industry to Boost Exports and Investment
Trade Minister Budi Santoso is encouraging an increase in national tyre exports, strengthening investment, and addressing various obstacles faced by industry players to maintain competitiveness in the global market. These issues were discussed during a meeting with the management of Bridgestone Indonesia at the Ministry of Trade office on Tuesday (21/7).
Minister Budi emphasised that the Ministry of Trade is committed to supporting businesses, including the tyre industry, to continuously strengthen exports. He discussed with Bridgestone Indonesia’s management plans to boost exports, the parent company’s support for adding product types and export destination markets, as well as various barriers encountered in international trade.
“The Ministry of Trade is committed to continuing to facilitate the expansion of export markets for Indonesian products, including Bridgestone tyres, through ongoing and currently negotiated trade agreements. The Ministry also welcomes the participation of quality tyre products from Indonesia in international trade promotions and business matching with potential buyers through overseas trade representatives,” said Minister Budi in a written statement on Wednesday (22/7/2026).
Minister Budi explained that Indonesia currently has 20 trade agreements that have been implemented, 15 agreements in the ratification process, and 11 agreements still under negotiation, including the completion of the Indonesia–European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA). “In principle, we want to continue building communication with the business world. If there are obstacles in export or investment activities, convey them to us so that solutions can be found together. Moreover, the more trade agreements Indonesia has, the greater the market opportunities for national products,” he said.
Budi also conveyed that the Ministry of Trade continues to be committed to improving the ease of export services. One such effort is through the automation system for issuing Certificates of Origin for partner countries of trade agreements, making the export process more efficient.
During the meeting, Bridgestone Indonesia’s management expressed appreciation for the government’s support in developing national exports and efforts to establish trade agreements with various partner countries. Bridgestone Indonesia currently exports its products to around 70 countries, with Australia, Japan, and Malaysia as the main export markets.
One of the challenges faced is the limited supply of domestic natural rubber raw materials. The decline in national rubber production means the company still has to rely on some imported raw materials to meet production needs. In addition, the mandatory implementation of the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) for certain components that cannot yet be produced domestically could potentially affect production continuity.
Bridgestone Indonesia also faces export challenges to the European Union due to the implementation of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Therefore, the company hopes that the completion of the IEU-CEPA can further enhance the competitiveness of Indonesian products, including through reductions in import duties.
Following up on these various inputs, Minister Budi affirmed that the Ministry of Trade will coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to address the challenges faced by the Indonesian tyre industry, including Bridgestone.