Turning market access into sustained exports for Indonesia

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia continues to expand its access to international markets through trade agreements, overseas trade representatives, and business meetings.

Once potential buyers are identified, the next challenge is ensuring that initial purchases lead to lasting trade relationships rather than one-off transactions.

Indonesia’s exports reached US$167.03 billion from January to July 2026, up 4.43 percent from the same period a year earlier. The figure indicates that national exports continued to grow amid global economic uncertainty.

For businesses, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the next step is turning market access into repeat demand.

Indonesia has implemented 25 international trade agreements. The Ministry of Trade also operates 46 overseas trade representative offices across 33 countries to identify market opportunities and connect domestic businesses with foreign buyers.

From January to July 2026, the ministry facilitated 1,021 MSMEs through 546 business meetings across 33 countries. Purchase orders and potential transactions reached US$333.68 million. Of this amount, US$58.06 million had materialized into purchase orders, while US$275.61 million remained potential transactions.

These figures demonstrate the breadth of opportunities identified, but they do not show what happens after the meetings. Potential transactions indicate initial interest, while purchase orders must still be translated into production and shipments.

Testing buyer demand

Once buyers express interest, exporters enter a more decisive phase. Companies must meet quality standards, obtain certifications, maintain production capacity, agree on payment terms, and deliver goods according to buyers’ requirements.

For MSMEs, larger orders can test production capabilities that may not be apparent when products are still at the sample stage. Producers must maintain specifications and quality at higher volumes, ensure consistent supply, and meet agreed delivery schedules.

Technical requirements can also differ between the domestic market and the destination country. Exporters need to understand testing and certification requirements early so they can prepare products and documentation in line with the target market’s rules.

Fajarini Puntodewi, director general of National Export Development at the Ministry of Trade, said the ministry would continue strengthening assistance to help turn opportunities generated through business meetings into regular export transactions.

Support needs also change when exporters begin fulfilling orders. In addition to customs documentation and technical requirements, companies need working capital to purchase raw materials, manufacture and package products, and arrange shipments before receiving payment under agreed terms.

South Korea offers an example of how facilitated business meetings can generate transactions while opening opportunities for further cooperation. In the first half of 2026, 59 business meetings facilitated by the Indonesian Trade Attache in Seoul generated realized export transactions and potential deals for several commodities.

A long-term relationship can be seen in South Korean importer Yujin Co. Ltd., which has imported Indonesian cassava chips for the Kyochon restaurant chain for more than 15 years. Yujin is now exploring cooperation with Indonesian small and medium-sized enterprise PT Pareto Estu Guna to source various cassava chip products.

The relationship illustrates how an initial transaction can develop into sustained business when exporters consistently meet buyers’ needs.

Building export independence

Government support at this stage needs to reflect exporters’ specific requirements. Businesses entering a market for the first time need information on destination-country standards and regulations, while those that have secured orders may need financing and help expanding production capacity.

InaExport, the Ministry of Trade’s export information and facilitation platform, was updated in September 2026 to support these needs. The platform integrates information on tariffs, customs regulations, market requirements, buyer inquiries, and channels for exporter assistance.

Its role could be strengthened by tracking the progress of opportunities after business meetings. The government could monitor whether initial interest develops into purchase orders and shipments while identifying the stages at which opportunities most frequently fail to materialize.

Meanwhile, the benefits of trade agreements need to be translated into practical guidance.

Sahara, a professor of economics at IPB University, has emphasized the importance of ensuring that Indonesian producers, including MSMEs, can use available tariff reductions, rules of origin, mutual recognition arrangements, and trade facilitation measures.

Exporters need to know which products qualify for preferential treatment, what requirements they must meet, and which documents are needed to access these benefits. Actionable information is more useful to businesses than simply knowing that a trade agreement has entered into force.

As order volumes increase, cargo capacity and shipping schedules also require attention so exporters can meet their commitments to buyers. Logistics readiness becomes increasingly important as companies begin serving larger orders.

Market-opening efforts should also be evaluated by tracking the progress of each opportunity.

The number of business meetings measures the reach of trade facilitation, while the value of potential transactions indicates the opportunities identified. Neither figure, however, captures the results after initial contact has been established.

Confirmed orders, shipments, repeat purchases, and growth in sales provide a more complete picture of whether trade relationships are becoming sustainable. Tracking these stages can also help the government identify the support exporters need at each point in the process.

For businesses, repeat orders provide greater demand certainty, allowing production to expand and new markets to be pursued.

For the national economy, sustained trade relationships can turn market access into continuing export flows and increase domestic industrial value added.

*Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak is a journalist at the ANTARA News Agency

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the ANTARA News Agency.

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