Brazil seeks to expand list of meatpackers authorized to export to Indonesia

More than 30 Brazilian beef industry executives are in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, on a trade mission to expand commercial relations with the Southeast Asian nation.

A list of 40 meatpacking plants is awaiting Indonesian approval to begin exports. If fully authorized, the number of eligible plants would more than double. Currently, there are 38 units. Brazilian exports to Indonesia follow halal certification rules, in accordance with Islamic law, to meet Muslim consumption requirements.

After a surge in authorizations — from 11 plants in 2019, when the market first opened, to 38 today — exports have accelerated and, in the first nine months of 2025, have already exceeded the combined total of the previous two years.

From January to September, shipments reached 16.7 thousand tonnes, compared with 11.4 thousand in 2024 and 2.7 thousand in 2023. Sales exceeded US$76 million. But Brazil wants more.

Recently, Indonesia opened its market to bone-in beef, beef offal, meat products, and prepared meats, creating additional export opportunities. The industry and the Brazilian government are now working to secure a new technical mission to conduct audits and validate plants later in 2025.

Brazil is already Indonesia’s third-largest supplier of beef (behind Australia and India) and is now ahead of the United States. As shipments grow, Indonesia has entered the top 20 destinations for Brazilian beef. A competitive advantage in the Indonesian market is the higher average price paid — US$4,941 per tonne — compared with other buyers.

According to Roberto Perosa, president of the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (Abiec), export demand from Brazil is strong. In a meeting on Thursday (10/23) in Jakarta with Agriculture Minister Carlos Fávaro and representatives from meatpacking companies, he noted that several companies are awaiting approval, some pending only final documentation review by the Indonesian government.

The Brazilian meatpacking industry sees Indonesia as a strategic partner for boosting exports, given that it is the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, with 270 million inhabitants, growing income and population, and rising protein consumption. The country is viewed as a high-potential market for premium and processed meats and could help diversify Brazil’s exports to Southeast Asia.

A key outstanding issue is the 30% tariff applied to processed beef products, casings, and bovine byproducts — categories the industry is looking to expand. For boneless chilled and frozen beef, bone-in beef, and offal, the tariff is 5%.

The goal is to consolidate Brazilian beef as a safe, certified, and competitive option. The timing is considered favorable given Australia’s reduced herd and India’s focus on lower-value products — both of which are Indonesia’s main suppliers.

The 38 Brazilian plants currently authorized to export to Indonesia belong to 14 companies: JBS, Minerva, Marfrig, Barra Mansa, Astra, Frigon, Frigol, Supremo, Mercurio, Frialto, Natura Frig, Beauvallet, Estrela, and Distriboi.

Opportunities

Beyond exports, Indonesia also presents investment opportunities for Brazilian companies. One example is JBS, which signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Danantara Indonesia fund to explore investment opportunities in food production in the country, the company said in a statement to Valor.

“The objective is to create a local platform focused on sustainable food production — with an emphasis on proteins — designed to become a regional hub and global benchmark for the sector,” the company said.

Lula in Indonesia

In an official meeting with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva highlighted the potential to deepen trade relations between the two countries. Brazil and Indonesia signed a series of memorandums of understanding, including a cooperation agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary measures and agricultural certification.

Speaking at the Brazil–Indonesia Business Forum, Lula also stressed the potential for partnership in the biofuels sector.

“Brazil does not want to simply sell to Indonesia. We are betting on a balanced and mutually beneficial partnership. As two of the world’s largest bioenergy producers, we can work together to create a global biofuels market,” he said.

Source: Globo Rural

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