Minister Of Trade: Japan Must Eliminate Canned Tuna Tariffs

Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan (right) during a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Yamada Kenji in Jaipur, India, Friday (25/8/2023). (ANTARA/HO-Kemendag)

JAKARTA - Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan hopes that Japan will immediately eliminate tariffs for four Indonesian canned tuna tariff posts as part of the Protocol for Amendments to the Economic Partnership Agreement between Indonesia and Japan (Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement/IJEPA).

The Trade Minister said Japan had given elimination of tariffs for the tuna tariff posts for Filipino, Thai and Vietnamese canned tuna. According to him, the same can be done for Indonesia.

"The tariff evaluation for the four canned tuna tariff posts is an absolute requirement for Indonesia to resolve the IJEPA Amendment Protocol negotiations," said the Trade Minister as quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, August 26.

The Trade Minister said that the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN-Japan should be used by both parties to maximize relations between Japan and ASEAN member countries.

Therefore, this momentum is a good opportunity for Indonesia and Japan to immediately complete the negotiations.

Zulkifli is optimistic that the two countries can announce the completion of the substance of the IJEPA Amendment Protocol negotiations on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit (KTT) in September 2023 in Jakarta.

"I am also optimistic that Indonesia and Japan can sign the protocol at the ASEAN-Japan 50th Anniversary Summit in December 2023 in Tokyo, Japan," said Zulkifli.

Indonesia's total trade with Japan continues to increase from year to year. In the January-May 2023 period, Indonesia's total trade with Japan was recorded at 16.3 billion US dollars.

Indonesia's exports to Japan amounted to 9.4 billion US dollars and Indonesia's imports from Japan were 6.8 billion US dollars. Indonesia has a surplus of 2.5 billion US dollars.

In 2022, Indonesia's total trade reached 42.0 billion US dollars, an increase of 29.2 percent compared to 2021. Indonesia's exports to Japan were recorded at 24.8 billion US dollars and was the highest in the last five years (2018-2022).

On the other hand, Indonesia's imports from Japan amounted to 17.1 billion US dollars. Indonesia recorded a surplus against Japan of 7.6 billion US dollars.

In the last five years (2018-2022), the total trade trend between the two countries grew by 2.61 percent. Indonesia also continues to enjoy a trade surplus against

Japan in that five-year period.

Indonesia's main export commodities to Japan include integrated electronic circuits, petroleum gas and other hydrocarbon gases, isolated wires, cables, and electrical conductors, telephone and smartphone devices, and motor vehicle parts and accessories.

Indonesia's main import commodities from Japan include integrated electronic circuits, parts and accessories of motorized vehicles, floory canai products made of iron or steel, not alloys, semiconductor equipment, and electrical apparatus.