The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Trade, is promoting live cattle import cooperation to meet the domestic demand for beef. Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) stated that strengthening relations with countries producing high-quality cattle that meet Indonesian standards, including New Zealand, is a key initiative. "Indonesia is pushing for live cattle import cooperation with New Zealand," said Zulhas after a bilateral meeting with New Zealand's Minister of Development and Construction, Chris Penk, at the APEC 2024 forum in Peru, as reported on 20 May 2024. The Minister emphasized the importance of enhancing trade relations with New Zealand, a major producer of beef and dairy products.
Zulhas also revealed that New Zealand responded positively to Indonesia's request during the bilateral meeting. "New Zealand will follow up on Indonesia's request to meet the country's domestic requirements," he added. Highlighting the significance of the APEC forum, Zulhas referred to data from APEC at a Glance 2022, noting that APEC members represent 38% of the world's population (2.95 billion people), 48% of global trade (USD 28 trillion), and 62% of the world's real GDP (USD 59 trillion). In 2023, Indonesia's total export value to APEC members reached USD 188.7 billion, marking an 11.2% decrease compared to the previous year (2022). "Indonesia's total trade with APEC members in 2023 amounted to USD 358.6 billion," Zulhas concluded.
