Arrival comes as Indonesia negotiates comprehensive economic partnership agreement with the EU
The first shipment of Polish apples has entered Indonesia, according to reporting from Jakarta Globe.
The world’s third-largest producer of apples has had the Indonesian market in its sights for some time but faced difficulty making headway due to long shipment times.
“Poland submitted an application to allow Polish apples to enter the Indonesian market five years ago,” Maciej Tumulec, the chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Polish Embassy in Indonesia told the publication. “It was truly a long process, but I believe it was worth the wait. I’m confident we can compete on the Indonesian market, both in terms of quality and price with apples from the US, China, or New Zealand.”
Indonesian importer Laris Manis Utama (LMU) said it was the first company to bring in Polish apples with the maiden shipment arriving mid-December 2024. Import merchandise manager, Ricky Liong, said the company had previously been wary of transit times.
“We were able to sell the first shipment but there were very few apples available from other countries at that time,” Liong told Fruitnet. “It’s difficult for Poland to compete with New Zealand and US apples because the transit time is more than two months on the water, and this affects the pressure of the fruit.”
Tumulec told Jakarta Globe modern storage and transportation technologies have enabled Poland to maintain the fruit’s “excellent taste and structure” despite long shipment times.
“We are confident that these delicious fruits will not only satisfy the taste buds of Indonesian consumers but also contribute to a stronger trade relationship between our two countries,” he said.
Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported that bilateral trade between Poland and Indonesia had amounted to US$1bn throughout 2024, up from US$997.1mn the previous year. Indonesia’s exports to Poland totalled US$726.4mn in 2024, while imports from the European country were worth US$279.6mn.
According to Jakarta Globe, Indonesia and the EU are currently negotiating a comprehensive economic partnership agreement which Jakarta aims to finish negotiations for within the first half of 2025.
