Jakarta, June 5, 2025 – The Europe Today: Deputy Minister of Trade of Indonesia Dyah Roro Esti held a strategic meeting with the United Kingdom’s Trade Envoy to Indonesia and ASEAN, Naz Shah, to reinforce bilateral trade relations amid evolving global economic dynamics, including recent U.S. tariff measures.
“The United Kingdom is an important partner for Indonesia in both trade and investment. We welcome the progress made in our cooperation and will continue to push for mutually beneficial trade relations,” Esti stated in an official release on Wednesday.
The dialogue addressed key economic and trade issues, particularly the potential repercussions of protectionist trade policies implemented by the United States on businesses in both countries. Esti underscored Indonesia’s firm commitment to a non-aligned foreign trade stance, maintaining constructive relations with all partners while prioritizing open dialogue.
The Deputy Minister also reiterated Indonesia’s support for ASEAN centrality in navigating global economic challenges, and highlighted the country’s openness to enhancing market access, including with the UK.
The United Kingdom, she added, remains a strategic partner with strong potential to expand cooperation across sectors including trade in goods and services, and foreign investment. Particular emphasis was placed on leveraging the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) as a key platform to advance bilateral economic collaboration.
In addition, both sides discussed opportunities for deeper engagement in emerging priority sectors such as critical minerals, green energy transition, human capital development, and empowerment of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
UK Trade Envoy Naz Shah reiterated the United Kingdom’s commitment to strengthening economic ties with Indonesia, affirming support for fostering an inclusive, sustainable, and mutually beneficial trade environment.
In 2024, total trade volume between Indonesia and the United Kingdom reached US$2.7 billion. Indonesian exports to the UK amounted to US$1.8 billion, while imports from the UK stood at US$0.9 billion.
