Antara News·Indonesia·Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 01:24 PM

Indonesia urges continued talks on trade deal with Sri Lanka

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Maria Cicilia Galuh Prayudhia, Cindy Frishanti Oct

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Trade Minister Budi Santoso urged continued negotiations on the Indonesia-Sri Lanka Preferential Trade Agreement (ISL-PTA) during a meeting with Sri Lankan Labour Minister and Deputy Finance and Planning Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando in Jakarta, Wednesday.

"We discussed various measures to boost trade between Indonesia and Sri Lanka. One such measure is advancing the ISL-PTA through a third round of negotiations. We are optimistic that the agreement will benefit both nations," Santoso said in a written statement.

He emphasized the importance of Indonesia gaining access to the Sri Lankan market through the PTA. Doing so would allow Indonesia to further expand export opportunities within the South Asian market.

Indonesia and Sri Lanka launched the ISL-PTA negotiations on March 14, 2024. The first round took place virtually on April 3–4, 2024, followed by the second round in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 15–16, 2024.

Meanwhile, Fernando stated that Sri Lanka is currently conducting an internal review of the ISL-PTA as part of the ongoing negotiation process.

He expressed hope that the process could be concluded soon, enabling both countries to achieve more open and robust trade relations.

Sri Lanka also expressed interest in Indonesian fertilizer products to meet domestic demand.

In response, Santoso suggested that the Sri Lanka delegation utilize their participation in Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) 2026 to meet with Indonesian fertilizer industry players and explore potential cooperation opportunities.

From January to July 2026, total trade between Indonesia and Sri Lanka was recorded at US$266 million. The figure comprised US$244 million in Indonesian exports and US$22 million in imports.

Meanwhile, in 2025, the total trade value between the two countries stood at US$530.2 million, consisting of US$476.7 million in Indonesian exports and US$53.5 million in imports. Consequently, Indonesia recorded a trade surplus of US$423.1 million.

Indonesia's key exports to Sri Lanka include copra, passenger motor vehicles, semi-finished products of iron or non-alloy steel, industrial monocarboxylic fatty acids, acid oils, industrial fatty alcohols, and raw tobacco and tobacco refuse.

Meanwhile, Indonesia's main imports from Sri Lanka include knitted or crocheted fabrics, petroleum and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, machinery for processing tobacco, and various tire products.

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