Trade Minister Zulhas Asks Indonesian Products To Invade Foreign Markets

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zuklifli Hasan admitted that he did not want Indonesia to only become a market for other countries.

Therefore, he asked domestic products to expand their network to international markets.

Zulhas as Zulkifli Hasan is familiarly known, said that there were a number of trade agreements to smooth it out. In that way, it can improve the national economy.

"Now is the time for Indonesia not only to become a market, but Indonesia needs to invade foreign markets and we have built the tollway for that," he said during the virtual launch of the 37th TEI in 2022, Wednesday, August 10.

Zulhas said that the trade agreement with ASEAN will be inaugurated in the near future. With this trade agreement, Indonesia is free to transit trade to ASEAN countries.

"There is an Asean (trade agreement) tollway, later on the 23rd we will knock on the hammer, ratify, we are free in Asean to transit any trade," he said.

Then, continued Zulhas, there is also a comprehensive economic agreement between Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates.

The same thing was explored with Australia and South Korea.

With that, said Zulhas, the entry fee for Indonesian manufactured goods will be 0 percent.

Zulhas emphasized that this applies to types of goods in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

“With the UAE (I-UAE CEPA), we can penetrate the European, Middle East and African markets. Africa has 1 billion people, with the UAE we cooperate, everything we export is zero tax. We want gold, silver, agricultural products, creative industry products, textiles, whatever means, we will build the tollway," he said.

With these efforts, said Zulhas, it is able to encourage Indonesia's economic growth rate to be stable at 5 percent every year.

This means that in the next 20 years, Indonesia can achieve its vision.

"We can achieve in 2045 Advanced Indonesia, I think we can get out of the middle income trap. If all invade the international market, penetrate the (international) market," he explained.