The Diplomat
The acting Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, met yesterday in Madrid with his Indonesian counterpart, Syahrul Yasin Limpo, to promote the export of Spanish meat products to a market with great growth potential.
As reported by the Ministry in a press release, during the meeting it was agreed to reestablish the visits of Indonesian inspectors for the certification of exporting establishments, which were paralyzed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The visits will resume in January 2024.
Luis Planas and Syahrul Yasin Limpo also discussed the Spanish agri-food sector’s experience in the application of new technologies and digitalization incorporated into its production processes, greenhouse fruit and vegetable production using the best techniques to improve its efficiency, and the Spanish government’s water management to make the most of every drop of water.
In 2022, with a favorable agri-food trade balance for Indonesia, Spanish exports totaled 61.8 million euros, which represented a growth of 8.26% compared to 2021. Indonesia, with more than 275 million inhabitants, is a market of interest for Spanish sectors such as beef, bovine and pork, with 5,510 tons of exports that generated 14.95 million euros in 2022, and fishing of fresh and frozen products, especially bonito, with exports for 7.17 million euros in the same year.
In general terms, bilateral economic and trade relations between the two countries are good, and their growth potential is remarkable. Bilateral trade is growing, with a strong trade deficit for Spain (2,416.7 million euros between January and November 2022). Imports from Indonesia focus on vegetable fats and oils, biofuels, minerals, chemicals and footwear. Spanish exports include machinery and mechanical appliances, clothing, wood pulp, essential oils and plastics. Bilateral investment has progressively increased in recent years. In 2020 the stock of Spanish investment in Indonesia amounted to 200 million euros, compared to a stock of 18 million euros of Indonesian investment in Spain.
