Trade Minister: New IPSA to Boost Regional Exports

Trade Minister Budi Santoso stated that the presence of new Certificate of Origin Issuing Agencies (IPSKA) in various regions is expected to boost regional exports while strengthening the competitiveness of Indonesian products in the international market. “If the entry fee is zero percent, the price of our products in the destination country becomes cheaper, so we can compete with other countries that do not yet have trade agreements,” he said after simultaneously inaugurating IPSKA in seven regions across Indonesia, centred at Pendopo Si Panji Purwokerto, Banyumas Regency, Central Java, on Thursday. According to him, a Certificate of Origin (SKA) is a document indicating the origin of exported goods and serves as the basis for destination countries to provide preferential tariff facilities in accordance with applicable trade agreements. He gave an example that if Indonesia has a trade agreement with a partner country granting zero percent import duty for certain products, the SKA becomes proof that the goods genuinely originate from Indonesia and are thus entitled to the facility. Budi said that without an SKA, destination countries would find it difficult to ascertain the origin of goods because international trade involves products from various countries. Therefore, he said, the SKA is an important instrument to fulfil rules of origin while providing certainty for exporters. According to the Trade Minister, the presence of IPSKA in the regions will make it easier for business actors to access SKA issuance services, so that the utilisation of various international trade facilities can increase and impact national export growth. Meanwhile, Director General of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Tommy Andana, said the government has established seven new IPSKA based on Trade Minister Decree Number 404 of 2026 concerning Certificate of Origin Issuing Agencies and Trade Minister Decree Number 405 of 2026 concerning Certificate of Origin Signing Officials. He explained that the establishment of IPSKA is carried out in accordance with Trade Minister Regulation Number 25 of 2018, considering several criteria, including adequate export activity, the presence of export ports, industrial estates, export-oriented areas, and special economic zones. “With the establishment of these new IPSKA, there are currently 103 IPSKA spread throughout Indonesia,” he said. The seven inaugurated IPSKA are located in Banyumas Regency, Natuna Regency, Garut Regency, Semarang City, North Halmahera Regency, Morowali Regency, and Southwest Papua Province. According to him, IPSKA has a strategic role as the issuer of SKA as well as the executor of verification and supervision of compliance with Indonesian export goods’ rules of origin, making it the front line in guaranteeing the validity of export documents. The addition of new IPSKA is expected to bring services closer to exporters and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the regions, so that more business actors can utilise the trade facilities that Indonesia has secured. Specifically in Banyumas, he said, superior products such as coconut sugar, woven crafts, and essential oils have great potential to increase exports if supported by supply continuity and maintained product quality. He said the utilisation rate of SKA for national exports to partner countries with free trade agreements has currently reached 75.6 percent. The Ministry of Trade is also continuously developing the SKA issuance system, including through automation features that have been implemented for exports to the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, China, and South Korea. Tommy expressed hope that the addition of IPSKA and the strengthening of these services can increase the utilisation of international trade facilities while strengthening the competitiveness of Indonesian exports in the global market.