The Jakarta-Tokyo Axis Is Getting More Friendly: RI Brings Interest In Tuna Exports, Japan Aims For Industrial Opportunities

JAKARTA - The order through the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, said that he had just held an important meeting with the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Koichi Hagiuda, in Tokyo.

Through today's press release, Airlangga revealed that Indonesia and Japan have agreed on a number of areas of cooperation in the economic field.

In his explanation, he said, if one of the things pushed by RI was related to the demand for market access for canned tuna exports.

The reason is that currently efforts to ship tuna products to Japan are quite constrained by higher entry rates compared to other ASEAN countries such as Thailand.

"We see that there is a complementary between demand in Japan and supply in Indonesia for this tuna product, so Indonesia hopes that Japan can lower tariffs for our tuna products so that Indonesia has the same level playing field as other countries in the region," he said on Monday, July 25. .

According to Airlangga, several other things that are being discussed are about the development of human resources (capacity building), digital technology, supply chains and promotion of green industries.

“We are also at the request of the Japanese government regarding the policy of radioactive free certificates for agricultural, fishery and food products. Here we emphasize that the POM has issued a revised regulation and no longer requires a radioactive-free certificate for Japanese processed foods that enter Indonesia," he said.

On the same occasion, Minister Hagiuda stated that the progress of cooperation in the automotive industry between the two countries was very good.

Hagiuda assessed that a number of Japanese companies also continued to increase their investment commitments in Indonesia.

"Mitsubishi has committed to start production of electric vehicles in Indonesia in early 2023 which aims to expand the export market. Besides Mitsubishi and Toyota, Nissan will also develop electric vehicle production in Indonesia," he said.

Hagiuda also said that his party hopes to continue to explore the potential for collaboration between the two countries, considering that the relationship between Indonesia and Japan has lasted for almost 50 years.

“At the same time, in 2023 Japan will also mark 50 years of friendship with ASEAN. This is the right momentum to continue to establish cooperation projects in the economic and business sectors," he said.

To note, Indonesia also welcomes the ASEAN–Japan Investing For the Future (AJIF) initiative as a forum for synergies to open up new opportunities.

Regarding RCEP, Indonesia is committed to immediately implementing the agreement signed in 2020 and is currently in the final ratification process which is expected to be completed in August 2022.

“We can continue this discussion, either through in-person discussions or online. I have a plan to come back to Jakarta to continue this good relationship,” concluded Minister Hagiuda.