The commitment was conveyed by Indonesian Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasmita and Brazilian Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services, Geraldo Alckmin, on the sidelines of the BRICS Industry Ministers Meeting in Brasilia, Brazil on May 20, 2025.
In a statement released on Thursday, Kartasasmita said that his ministry is continuing to strengthen industrial cooperation with strategic partner countries, including Brazil.
Indonesia and Brazil have shared a long history of diplomatic relations since 1953. The two countries have consistently bolstered comprehensive cooperation in various sectors to support economic growth.
"Brazil is a strategic partner of Indonesia in the Latin American region. The increase in the value of Indonesian exports to Brazil by 9.31 percent in 2024 is one of the positive indicators for potential cooperation in the future," the Indonesian minister said.
In the future, the cooperation between the two countries will focus on strategic sectors, such as the development of renewable energy based on plants, the maritime and aerospace industries, the processing of fishery and livestock products, and agribusiness products, he informed.
According to Kartasasmita, Indonesia and Brazil also have commitments in line with various multilateral forums, such as the Group of Twenty (G20), World Trade Organization (WTO), United Nations (UN), and BRICS.
In addition, both countries actively promote a fair multilateral trading system and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he noted.
Kartasasmita opined that Indonesia can expand cooperation with Brazil by developing the similar characteristics of the two countries through cooperation in other industrial sectors such as energy, food, and the development of the maritime industry.
Currently, Indonesia is developing CPO-based biodiesel in the form of B20, B30, and B40 as renewable energy.
Meanwhile, Brazil has developed ethanol as fuel. Therefore, both countries can cooperate in the renewable energy sector, especially in plant-based energy, such as biofuels and ethanol.
In addition, Indonesia has large fishery reserves but lacks large-capacity fishing vessels. Kartasasmita said that cooperation in the maritime industry can be encouraged to meet the needs of fishing vessels and strengthen the competitiveness of the national maritime industry.
The Indonesian government is also encouraging cooperation in the development of industrial human resources through vocational student exchanges, industrial internships, and collaboration with industrial training centers.
"Through BRICS, Indonesia and Brazil are expected to establish cooperation to improve the trade balance and industrial competitiveness of both countries, as well as reduce the national trade deficit," Kartasasmita said.
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Translator: Ahmad Muzdaffar, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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