Indonesian Agricultural Exports to China are Worth Trillions

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) Chinese President Xi Jinping held a bilateral meeting in Chengdu, China. The meeting was a series of President Jokowi’s trips to China which will take place on July 27-28, 2023. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi revealed, President Jokowi’s journey to China was at the invitation of President Xi Jinping and the visit coincided with the 10 years of Indonesia-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Partnership. One of the points discussed by the two heads of state is a matter of trade.
Retno said efforts to increase Indonesia’s exports to China continue to be improved. Where China is Indonesia’s largest trading partner. In 2022 the value of Indonesia-China trade reached more than US $ 133 billion, with Indonesia’s position now a surplus. During the meeting, he said, President Jokowi requested more market access in bamboo curtain countries for Indonesian products.
“The president welcomes the signing of the import protocol. Imports in this case are China from Indonesia for porang flour, Tabasheer powder. Also encourages protocol updates and an increase in the import quota of swallow nests, as well as completing the import protocol of Indonesian marine products,” Retno said on Thursday (7/27/2023).
Swallow’s nest itself is one of Indonesia’s leading export commodities in the livestock sector, according to the book “Analysis of Export Commodities 2018-2022) released by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS). In the 2018-2022 period, this commodity has an average role of 86 , 36% of the total exports of the livestock sector. In 2022, the role of this commodity even reached 89.37%, the highest over the past five years. China became the main destination country of Indonesian swallow’s nest exports. In 2022, exports to China reached US $ 387,4 million or equivalent to IDR 5.8 trillion. The amount is equal to 65.56% of the total exports of swallow birds.
In addition to swallow’s nests, there are several Indonesian agricultural, fisheries and forestry products that are in great demand by China. For example, medicinal plants, aromatic and spices, Indonesian exports to China worth US $ 122 million or IDR 1.8 trillion in 2022. Then, China is also the main destination for Indonesian annual fruit exports. In 2022, the value of Indonesian annual fruit exports to China reached US $ 124.3 million or IDR 1.86 trillion.
From the fisheries sector, China is the largest shareholder of Indonesia’s seaweed and other algae exports, which is 84.57% in 2022 or US $ 336.8 million, equivalent to IDR 5.05 trillion. From the fisheries sector, exports of fresh/cold fish caught from Indonesia in 2022 to China reached US $ 3.8 million or IDR 57 billion. Then, the export of rubber latex and the like in 2022 addressed to China with a value of US $ 24.2 million or IDR 363 billion.

July 29, 2023, CNBC Indonesia
(https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/research/20230729154145-128-458377/top-ekspor-pertanian-ri-ke-china-triliunan-ada-sarang-walet)