Indonesia Eyes Export Gains from Chinese Customs Visit

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Opportunities to increase Indonesia’s exports to China are expected to grow in the near future. The Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) believes that a mid-July 2026 visit by Chinese customs authorities could strengthen trade cooperation between the two countries.

Barantin head Abdul Kadir Karding said the agency is making improvements ahead of the arrival of a delegation from the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC).

“Barantin is actively taking steps to improve, ranging from strengthening communication with China to refining regulations,” Karding said in a statement in Jakarta on Thursday, July 2, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

He expressed optimism that the GACC’s visit would open broader market opportunities for Indonesian products in China. “The GACC’s visit to Indonesia will further expand export opportunities to China,” Karding said.

The statement followed a meeting between Barantin and export businesses, including edible bird’s nest exporters. One of the main agenda items to be discussed with the GACC is resolving the issue of aluminum levels in edible bird’s nests, which previously led to export suspensions for several companies.

According to Karding, the issue is temporary and now in the final stages of resolution. As of June 2026, Barantin recorded 75 registered edible bird’s nest companies, with 50 already listed in China’s Import Food Enterprises Registration (CIFER) and 25 still in process.

In addition, 4,204 bird’s nest houses have been registered, while 104 remain in the registration process. The export value of quarantine commodities also remained high, led by palm oil and derivatives at more than IDR 32.03 trillion (USD 1.77 billion), coffee beans at IDR 6.9 trillion, areca nuts at IDR 2.9 trillion, and edible bird’s nests valued at IDR 3.6 trillion.

Barantin's communication expert, Moksa Hutasoit, emphasized that the agency continues to open a dialogue with business operators. “The Head of Barantin’s goal in opening these communication channels is to gather direct input from business operators so that governance can be improved and the national economy strengthened,” Moksa said. ***