Mozambique’s government intends to increase exports to Indonesia and leverage the bilateral partnership to reach other Southeast Asian markets, following a meeting between the Secretary of State for Trade, António do Rosário Grispos, and Indonesian Trade Minister Budi Santoso. The talks also addressed investment opportunities in cassava processing in Mozambique.

The meeting took place on 16 October in Tangerang, in Indonesia’s Banten province, on the sidelines of the 41st edition of Trade Expo Indonesia. According to Indonesia’s Ministry of Trade, both sides advocated for greater use of the preferential trade agreement between the two countries to facilitate market access.

Signed in August 2019 and in force since June 2022, the agreement provides tariff preferences for 242 categories of Mozambican products and 217 categories of Indonesian products. Mozambican goods covered under the deal include cotton, legumes, sunflower seeds, coffee, fishery products, fruits, and vegetables.

During the meeting, Grispos identified Indonesia as a strategic partner for broadening the commercialisation of Mozambican products across the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Both parties also advocated for diversifying the range of traded goods and strengthening business-to-business contacts.

On the investment front, discussions explored the possibility of developing a cassava processing industry in Mozambique using Indonesian technology. Talks covered improvements to agricultural productivity and the establishment of processing units, with the aim of adding value to local production.

Indonesia also proposed holding a second meeting of the joint committee established under the trade agreement, to assess its implementation, identify trade barriers, and discuss deepening cooperation. The communiqué did not announce the signing of new agreements or set specific targets for export growth.

Trade Expo Indonesia ran from 14 to 18 October at the ICE BSD City exhibition centre in Tangerang. Organised by Indonesia’s Ministry of Trade, the fair brings together local companies and international buyers to facilitate business deals and commercial partnerships.