Indonesia eyes untapped export potential in China, US, India, Japan

Photo caption: Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto. (ANTARA)

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia is exploring ways to boost exports to its four traditional markets—China, the United States, India, and Japan—Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said, highlighting untapped export potential.

In a statement received here on Thursday, he stressed the need to "strengthen commodity- and market-based export strategies" to tap the gap between Indonesia's current exports and its export potential in those markets.

"This approach focuses on identifying commodities with high export capacity, mapping the gap between Indonesia's exports and the import demand of partner countries, and addressing obstacles faced by businesses," Airlangga noted.

He added that the government had identified an estimated US$31 billion in untapped export potential in China, particularly in minerals and metals and their derivatives, machinery and electronic equipment, paper products, rubber, plastics, and chemicals.

The minister further noted that Indonesia has an estimated export gap of US$14 billion in the US market, US$10 billion in India, and US$5.5 billion in Japan.

"The mapping results show that boosting exports requires not only exploring new markets but also deepening Indonesia's presence in its traditional export destinations," he said.

To tap this potential, he added, the government would seek to align domestic production capacity with the specific needs of destination countries, focusing on the mining, agriculture, plantation, fisheries, and manufacturing sectors.

The government also plans to map export potential in electronic, technology, and telecommunications products, he said.

Airlangga further highlighted the government's commitment to strengthening coordination among ministries, agencies, and businesses to address barriers to exports through regulatory reforms, compliance with market standards, and the resolution of technical constraints.

He expressed hope that the strategy would enable Indonesia to diversify its export commodities and generate greater added value while fully realizing its export potential.