Thursday, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno L. P. Marsudi and Chinese Customs and Excise Minister Ni Yue Feng inked a trade protocol on mangosteen exports to the economic giant, after China permitted Indonesia to re-export. The signing of the protocol by both ministers took place in Beijing on Thursday on the sidelines of the second Belt and Road Forum (BRF).
This development is expected to facilitate Indonesia to boost its mangosteen exports after China gave the green signal to the former to re-export the tropical fruit to the world's second-largest economy two years back.
Marsudi remarked that China being Indonesia's biggest trade partner, with bilateral trade valued at some US$70 billion in 2018, indicated a 23 percent spike than the previous year. "Nonetheless, the wide trade deficit with China is quite apparent to us all. Hence, we concur on reducing the deficit and seeking greater balance and mutual benefits in this trade," she emphasized.
Marsudi pointed to her nation's measures to ease China in exporting fruits, such as mandarin orange, to Indonesia: "I hope His Excellency will help to finalize (an agreement) on importing zalacca fruit from Indonesia, including reducing the import duty levied on pineapple, to ensure that the bilateral trade will be mutually beneficial.”
Feng wholeheartedly supported the suggestion given by Marsudi. "I am glad today that we were able to ink a protocol on the import of mangosteen from Indonesia," Feng remarked.
