VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOI News, Jakarta: Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan has asked the Trade Ministry's trade representatives in various countries to build and strengthen strategies to tackle global trade barriers.

He pointed out this during the 2024 Coordination and Technical Meeting of Trade Representatives Abroad held in Melbourne, Australia, from July 10–12, 2024.

As reported by Antara News Agency on Friday (12/7) Minister Zulkifli Hasan  in his statement released  on Friday explained that Indonesia's exports to various countries are expected to run smoothly without hindrances.

"There are trade barriers such as the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which have an impact on exports of Indonesian agricultural products. Nevertheless, export opportunities remain wide open," he said.

He further said that through a special strategy, his ministry is optimistic of taking advantage of many export opportunities and ensuring that the trade surplus trend is maintained.

He also emphasized the importance of collaboration and hard work to achieve national export targets.

"Immediately complete incomplete trade agreements, such as the comprehensive economic partnership agreements (CEPA) and free trade agreements (FTA) to welcome more competitive competition in the future," he said.

This year's coordination and technical meeting resulted in the formulation of a strategy to boost exports with the main focus being reducing tariffs and paying special attention to countries that function as regional hubs.

Trade representatives will focus on three main pillars, namely trade in goods, services, and investment.