MANILA—Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez emphasized the importance of further strengthening economic ties between the Philippines and Indonesia during a bilateral meeting with His Excellency Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs of Indonesia on 21 January 2022. The said bilateral meeting specifically highlighted the coal export ban recently implemented by the Indonesian government.
Minister Hartarto assured Secretary Lopez that coal exports will continue once domestic issues have been resolved, which are currently being addressed by the Indonesian government. He also mentioned that the Ministry of Agriculture in Indonesia is open and ready to assist exporters from the Philippines in order for their products to enter the Indonesian market.
For his part, Secretary Lopez expressed gratitude towards the Indonesian government for lowering trade barriers which facilitated the smooth entry of Filipino products in their country, particularly agriculture, industrial and more halal certified products. In return, he said that the Philippine market remains open for Indonesian products and reiterated that trade and investments are vital to ramp up economic recovery. He also mentioned that the Philippines is hopeful that its concerns regarding coal exportation will be addressed soon. END
