Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan, also known as Zulhas, oversaw the export of eight containers of coated steel products from PT Tata Metal Lestari (Tatalogam Group) in Sadang, Purwakarta, West Java, to Australia, Canada, and Puerto Rico, valued at USD 808,262. Zulhas emphasized that this export initiative is a tangible collaboration between the government and businesses to boost Indonesia's non-oil and gas export performance, especially increasing the export of Indonesian steel products to the global market. He highlighted the significant contribution of coated steel producers to Indonesia's trade surplus for 48 consecutive months. In 2022, the trade surplus was USD 54.5 billion, dropping to over USD 36 billion in 2023, and by May 2024, it was nearly USD 14 billion. He expressed satisfaction with the export destinations, noting that Indonesia imports significantly from these countries, leading to a trade deficit. With the export of coated steel products under the brand names Nexalume, Nexium, and Nexcolor, Zulhas hopes to reduce this deficit. He urged producers to serve both domestic and export markets, which have an average growth rate of over 10% per year. The government, through the Ministry of Trade, continues to open market access for Indonesian products to trading partner countries, including Australia and Canada. Indonesia has a trade agreement with Australia under the Indonesia-Australia CEPA and is negotiating the Indonesia-Canada CEPA with Canada.
Before the pandemic, imports rose to 19 million tons in 2019 but fell to 14.1 million tons in 2020 due to a significant drop in demand. However, imports increased again in 2021 and 2022 to 15.6 and 16.8 million tons, respectively. The company, established in 2019, pivoted to exports, considering supply chain disruptions, fluctuating demand, price volatility, government support, domestic industry protection, innovation, adaptation, and long-term impacts focused on sustainability and energy efficiency post-pandemic. Stephanus hopes for continued government support to promote technology transfer, enforce strict environmental regulations, provide financing and incentives for adopting green manufacturing technology, and actively engage in exports. He also advocates for the Ministry of Trade to support certification and labeling for eco-friendly products and promote training, education, and public campaigns on sustainable practices. The Ministry of Industry is encouraged to enhance economic partnerships with other countries to maximize both bilateral and multilateral economic partnership agreements.
