Indonesia considers soybean, meat imports from SA

Indonesia is exploring the purchase of 50 000 heads of cattle and 300 000 metric tonnes of soybean from South Africa as the two emerging economies explore ways to strengthen bilateral trade, according to an Indonesian minister.

The potential imports were discussed when senior Indonesian minister Luhut Pandjaitan met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his cabinet in Johannesburg.

Indonesia currently imports more than $1 billion worth of cattle and over $2 billion worth of soybean annually, Luhut said in a statement released on Wednesday.

Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy with a population of more than 270 million, mostly imports cattle from Australia. The country buys its soybean from countries in the American continent.

The two-way trade between Indonesia and South Africa was worth $3.25 billion last year, data from the Indonesian government showed.