"We strongly support the implementation of the 2024 coordinating meeting and technical meeting (Rakornis) of foreign trade representatives in Melbourne with the theme Accelerating the Performance of Trade Representatives Abroad to Increase Exports in Achieving a Golden Indonesia.

Zulkifli said he hoped that each trade representative could show their best performance. "Let's realize the vision of a Golden Indonesia with a spirit of collaboration and innovation," explained the trade minister in his speech.

On the same occasion, acting Trade Ministry secretary-general Suhanto explained that the 2024 Foreign Trade and Trade Coordination Meeting was held in Melbourne, Australia, on 10–12 July. The event was attended by all 120 Indonesian trade representatives abroad, including the WTO ambassador in Geneva, the head of the Indonesia Economic and Trade Office (IETO) in Taipei, the Trade Attache, the Trade Consul in Hong Kong and heads of the Indonesia Trade Promotion Center (ITPC).

With a series of discussions and visits to several locations carried out during the event, Suhanto hoped that the technical coordination would accelerate the implementation of the Trade Ministry's programs as the backbone of achieving Indonesia's golden target. "Hopefully the 2024 Perwadag Coordination Meeting will make a realistic contribution to achieving the targets that have been determined, especially on increasing national exports," said Suhanto.

On this occasion, PT Tata Metal Lestari, a coated steel producer from Indonesia that started operations in 2019 and has expanded exports to 20 countries to date, took part in a mini expo held in the context of the 2024 Perwadag coordination meeting. The Mini Expo was held in order to enliven the Rakornis activities as a form of support from Australian trade representatives for the penetration of Indonesian products into Australia. It is hoped that this could also be supported by other trade representatives in the assigned country.

Furthermore, still in the series of coordination meetings, a visit was also made to one of Tata Metal Lestari's strategic partners, a roll former industry in Melbourne on July 12, by several key representatives of the Trade Ministry, namely acting secretary-general Suhanto, International Trade Negotiations Director General Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono, acting National Export Development (PEN) drector general Mardyana Listyowati, head of the Trade Policy Agency Kasan and head of the Planning Bureau Nur Rakhman Setyoko accompanied by Indonesia’s Trade attaché in Canberra Harris Setiawan.

Tata Metal Lestari’s Government & Public Relations head Maharany Putri explained that the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) had had a significant impact on the steel industry in Indonesia and Australia by increasing opportunities for trade in goods and services, investment and economic cooperation between the two countries. By opening access to import duties from 15 to 0 percent for hot rolled coil (HRC) and cold rolled coil (CRC) for 250,000 tonnes in the first year and increasing by 5 percent every year, the price competitiveness of final products in both countries, or even in a third country, would increase. Innovation, knowledge transfer and research and development in the coated steel industry to light steel construction would also be activated as manifestations of elements of economic cooperation, which would inevitably lead to investment.

"This agreement is proven to increase market access by reducing barriers and costs for business actors who export to Australia and vice versa. On the other hand, this agreement also opens up potential for Indonesia's downstream steel industry by showing better cost efficiency and price fairness. The final product It can also be sent to third countries," explained Maharany when accompanying Suhanto on a visit to one of Tata Metal Lestari's strategic partners in Melbourne on Friday.

She added that to date, Tata Metal Lestari had exported coated steel as a raw material for structural light steel products and metal roof tiles for housing in Australia, where demand is increasing rapidly. The current total export of Tata Metal Lestari to Australia has reached 3,000-3,500 tonnes per month, while the visited strategic partner alone had exported 500-600 tonnes per month since the first export was carried out in October 2020.

Maharany hoped that the 2024 regional coordination meeting and the visit to the strategic partner Tata Metal Lestari would prove the greatness of the collaboration between the government and Indonesian business actors, encouraging an increase in performance of Indonesian non-oil and gas exports, including increasing exports of Indonesian steel products to the global market.

"This visit to one of Tata Metal Lestari's strategic partners in Australia is a continuation in a series of export activities by Tata Metal Lestari that was launched directly by the Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan last June. We hope that this visit can demonstrate the partnership between the government and business players in 1) understanding and take advantage of realistic opportunities for trade in goods and services, investment and economic partnerships between Indonesia and Australia to maintain a balanced IA-CEPA performance between the two countries 2) understanding and exploiting opportunities for knowledge transfer, innovation and collaboration in B2B [business-to-business] or G2B [government-to-business] formats to start forging significant market positions and to win global demand and 3) growing opportunities for economic power between Indonesia and Australia to maximize and utilize the IA-CEPA to create an economic powerhouse in Indonesia," explained Maharany again.

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