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USMEF sees export potential in Indonesia

The U.S. Meat Export Federation says Indonesia could be a key market for U.S. red meat products.

USMEF’s Joe Schuele tells Brownfield there’s some strong growth potential in the country’s foodservice and retail sectors. “Indonesia has an enormous population, almost 275 million people. It’s a market that frankly has never really lived up to expectations because of a lot of what I would call persistent trade barriers.”

Schuele says the main challenge for U.S. beef in Indonesia is the plant approval process, which is the most extensive of any country that requires establishment registration.

He says it could also be an emerging market for U.S. pork as Indonesia’s domestic supplies have decreased. “They are having a lot of issues with African swine fever and with high production costs. It’s really case of building relationships there and making some of the importers and processors aware of the availability of U.S. pork.”

Schuele says the organization held its inaugural Meat Product Showcase in Indonesia last month to help raise awareness with regional importers and distributors.