Indonesia seeks support to expand overseas trade promotion network
Trade Minister Budi Santoso said Indonesia has 19 trade promotion centres abroad, compared with South Korea's 130 and Malaysia's 49.
Indonesia's Trade Minister Budi Santoso has called for support from business leaders and lawmakers to increase the country's overseas trade promotion offices, saying a larger network would help exporters find foreign buyers.
Speaking at Kadin Indonesia's national leadership meeting in Jakarta on 30 October 2026, Budi sought backing from the chamber of commerce and industry and Commission VI of the House of Representatives to expand the Indonesia Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) network.
The Trade Ministry puts Indonesia's network at 19 centres. Budi cited larger networks elsewhere: South Korea has 130 offices, Japan 76, the United States 70, Australia 61 and Malaysia 49.
Budi said ITPC offices and other Indonesian trade representatives abroad, including trade attachés, were tasked with identifying prospective buyers for exporters. He described them as direct partners for businesses seeking overseas markets, with his own role being to coordinate their work.
The ministry also uses the network for its UMKM Bisa Ekspor programme. Participating micro, small and medium-sized enterprises can present products to trade attachés and ITPC offices, which then seek potential buyers.
According to Budi, transactions through the programme reached US$360 million during January–September, up from US$134 million in the previous period. He encouraged more businesses, including enterprises supported by Kadin in the regions, to use the facilities.
