Indonesia, Uruguay expand cooperation to boost commodity exports

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23 minutes ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesia Quarantine Agency is expanding opportunities for Indonesia’s commodity exports to Latin America through a cooperation agreement with Uruguay’s Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries.

Head of agency Abdul Kadir Karding said the cooperation covers the adoption of sanitary and phytosanitary measures to strengthen technical safety standards for the export and import of commodities, a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for fishery products, as well as arrangements for the import of fish eggs, or caviar, from Uruguay and the export of fresh citrus fruit to the country.

“The cooperation is not merely about exchanging commodities. We are also seeking to facilitate knowledge transfer so that good practices can have a positive impact on Indonesia’s agriculture and livestock sectors, including our export and import activities,” Karding said at a press conference following the signing of the Indonesia-Uruguay Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Jakarta on Thursday.

According to Karding, the cooperation was established because Uruguay was considered strategically located as a gateway to Latin American countries and part of economic integration in South America.

In addition, the agency seeks to adopt Uruguay’s advanced traceability systems and standards, which it considers well developed and widely recognized in the country.

Uruguay, he said, has highly efficient and effective standards for managing its agricultural sector, providing lessons that Indonesia can apply to improve the quality of commodities exported to Latin American markets.

“Once we can meet the standards in Uruguay, it will put us on a faster track, including for our regions,” Karding said.

The cooperation is considered to have significant economic potential. From 2024 through July 2026, 27 Indonesian flagship commodities had entered the Uruguayan market, including grated coconut, processed cocoa products, coconut flour, tetra fish, and seashells.

In 2025, the value of Indonesia’s exports to Uruguay reached Rp120.4 billion, while Indonesia’s imports from Uruguay were valued at Rp507.9 billion.

Karding said there was still considerable room to increase exports, particularly of agricultural, fisheries, forestry, and livestock products.

He expressed hope that the trade balance with Uruguay would become more balanced.

Through the cooperation that makes Uruguay an entry point, Barantin is targeting the export of Indonesian commodities to countries such as Argentina and Brazil, which could increase the volume and economic value of Indonesian exports to Latin American countries.

Meanwhile, Uruguay’s Ambassador to Indonesia Cristina Gonzalez said the memorandum and cooperation agreement were not merely aimed at facilitating commodity trade but would also help Indonesia improve its standards and gain access to markets across the Americas.

“We support stronger trade relations that provide benefits to both countries,” Gonzalez said.