Trade Minister Budi Santoso said Indonesia’s palm oil export strategy needs to go beyond price competitiveness by strengthening traceability, meeting international standards, diversifying export markets and making greater use of existing and emerging trade agreements. Budi delivered the remarks as a keynote speaker at the Regional Learning Forum on Sustainable Commodities in Jakarta on August 28, 2026. The forum brought together stakeholders from Indonesia’s cocoa and palm oil sectors as well as participants from overseas. According to Budi, competition in global markets is no longer determined solely by price. Buyers are increasingly taking sustainability, food safety and supply chain reliability into consideration. As a result, Indonesia’s export strategy needs to focus on increasing product value, complying with international standards, opening new markets and optimizing international trade cooperation. Trade Agreements Support Market Expansion The government is also using international trade agreements as an important instrument to expand market access for Indonesian products, including cocoa and palm oil. Indonesia has implemented 25 international trade agreements, while two agreements are currently undergoing ratification and another 13 are still under negotiation. The Ministry of Trade is also pushing to accelerate trade cooperation with the European Union and the United States to strengthen competitiveness and expand market access for Indonesian cocoa and palm oil products. To support exporters, the ministry relies on a network of 46 Indonesian trade representatives across 33 export destinations. These representatives help promote Indonesian products, identify market opportunities and facilitate business matching between exporters and overseas buyers. From January through July 2026, the Ministry of Trade facilitated business-matching activities involving 1,021 businesses, with potential transactions reaching US$275.61 million. Trade Expo Indonesia to Promote Palm Oil Products Beyond trade agreements, Indonesia is continuing to strengthen product promotion through Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI). The 2025 edition of TEI generated total transactions worth US$22.8 billion, including approximately US$474.7 million in transactions involving micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Budi invited stakeholders in the cocoa and palm oil industries to participate in the 41st Trade Expo Indonesia, scheduled for October 14–18, 2026. According to the minister, the scale of transactions generated through the exhibition reflects international market confidence in Indonesian products. The government’s push for downstream processing, sustainability and wider market access is expected to strengthen the position of strategic Indonesian commodities, including palm oil, as global buyers increasingly demand greater transparency, sustainability and supply chain reliability. For the palm oil industry, the strategy places greater emphasis on moving beyond raw commodity exports toward higher-value products while ensuring that sustainability and traceability become increasingly integrated into the supply chain.