On 22 July 2025, the Indonesian Ministry of Trade and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) signed a memorandum of understanding, which was carried out by the Head of the Trade Policy Agency (BKPerdag) of the Ministry of Trade, Rusmin Amin, and the Director of Operations of ERIA, Takayuki Yamanaka. Minister of Trade Budi Santoso, who was present at the event, emphasised the importance of high-quality research in supporting the development of effective and accountable Indonesian trade policies. The Trade Minister also requested that BKPerdag maximise this collaboration to produce more relevant and high-quality trade research, in order to provide a foundation for improving existing and future trade policies.
Furthermore, the Trade Minister emphasised that, in the face of an increasingly complex global economy, Indonesia requires data-driven trade policies, informed by in-depth research and a comprehensive perspective. ERIA, as a credible and independent regional research institution, is committed to collaborating with BKPerdag to support the Ministry of Trade's priority programmes. This collaboration may take the form of training sessions, workshops and joint discussion forums. ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe reaffirmed the organisation's commitment to supporting the formulation of trade policies that are adaptive, innovative, and future-oriented, and expressed hope that this partnership can contribute to building a more resilient, competitive, and connected region.
