Kadin chief calls for broader trade links to strengthen Indonesia’s economy
Kadin supports wider trade pacts, including an agreement with the EU, to reduce Indonesia’s dependence on China and the United States.
Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Chairman Anindya Bakrie has called on policymakers to open more channels for trade and investment, saying a wider range of partners and more domestic resource processing would help Indonesia withstand geopolitical volatility.
At the B20 USA 2026 Summit in Washington, he set out economic priorities for a country seeking to generate 4 million to 5 million jobs each year. Indonesia has 285 million people and a median age of 30, he noted.
Anindya credited domestic processing with raising nickel exports from US$3 billion in unprocessed ore to roughly US$33 billion in stainless steel and battery materials. He said efforts to add value to bauxite and copper were also underway.
Kadin backs an expansion of trade agreements, including the Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, as a way to diversify markets. Indonesia’s bilateral trade amounts to US$160 billion with China and US$40 billion with the United States.
Domestic investment accounts for 40 per cent of gross domestic product. Indonesian businesses and sovereign wealth fund Danantara are also putting money into overseas projects, including stakes in oil and gas fields in West Texas and an Indonesian Hajj Village in Mecca.
Anindya also called for businesses to have an earlier role in shaping government policy and for small enterprises to be brought into international supply chains.
