Australia’s new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in Jakarta last night (Sunday 05 June 2022), accompanied by other government ministers and a high-level business delegation. Indonesia has been a growing market for Australian goods and services exporters. By some estimates, Indonesia will be the world’s fifth-largest economy by 2030. Trade with this neighbouring country has doubled since 2020 to over $10bn, after a major trade deal came into effect.
Indonesia is Australia’s largest neighbour and, while Jakarta lies more than 5,000 kilometres west of Canberra, the closest part of the archipelago is only a few hundred kilometres off the tip of Western Australia.
The country represents “one of Australia’s most important bilateral relationships”, according to the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), which adds that the two countries “enjoy extensive cooperation including on strategic, economic, security, development and education issues”.
The Prime Minister is accompanied by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Trade Minister Don Farrell and Industry Minister Ed Husic for the Annual Leaders’ Meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo. During that meeting, the PM and President Widodo will discuss bilateral trade and investment, cooperation on climate and energy, and regional and global interests.
The government ministers are joined by a high-level delegation of Australian business leaders, including: Rob Scott, the head of retailer Wesfarmers, which has Bunnings, Kmart, Target and others under its umbrella; miner Fortescue Metal deputy chairman Mark Barnaba; and Chris Jennings, the head of defence industry giant Thales.
Mr Albanese is expected to discuss trade, investment, energy and security with Jokowi, as the Indonesian leader is popularly known. The three-day trip will focus mostly on economic relationship between the two countries, which stalled during the coronavirus pandemic after the landmark Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) was ratified early in 2020.
There is hope that Penny Wong in particular, who was born in Malaysia, will be instrumental in ushering in a new era of Indonesia – Australia ties. The Foreign Minister, who previously said Indonesia did not get the attention it deserved under the former Australian government, met with Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi on Sunday.
Especially important will be both sides’ ambition to unlock the potential of the IA-CEPA, including to take forward the Government’s proposed $200 million climate and infrastructure fund with Indonesia, according to a media release from the PM’s website. In Jakarta, the Prime Minister will also meet with ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi to discuss the Government’s commitment to Southeast Asia and ASEAN centrality.
Indonesia is also the chair of the G20 summit this year, which will be held in Bali in November. Australia will be among the Asia Pacific countries attending.
Colless Young’s international network includes Indonesia with an office based in Bali. We are able to collect and arrange shipment from all islands and provinces in Indonesia, and cover major shipping ports such as Jakarta, Surabaya and Belawan Sumatra. To talk with us for more information about service and rates, use the form at the righthand side of this page or go to our contact page.
As licensed Customs Brokers and International Freight Forwarders, we handle all your transport needs, by both air and sea cargo. We are based in Brisbane and offer a complete range of logistics services – import and export – through all Australian ports and airports.
