President Prabowo Subianto and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced the target at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on 3 August 2026. Prabowo tied the US$20 billion goal directly to the Indonesia–Thailand Strategic Partnership Roadmap 2026–2030. The roadmap moves the relationship well beyond headline trade numbers. It creates a framework to expand market access, grow joint investment and cut barriers across key sectors.
Strategic roadmap anchors a higher trade ambition
The target is ambitious but the trajectory supports it. According to Indonesian Ministry of Trade figures, bilateral trade reached US$17.67 billion in 2025 — up 1.35% year-on-year. Ministry data also show US$9.80 billion in trade during the first half of 2026 alone. At that pace, full-year flows could approach US$19.6 billion — close to the 2030 goal, four years early.
The path has not been linear. Ministry of Trade data cited in local media show trade of US$16.23 billion in 2021 and US$19.19 billion in 2022, followed by a period of fluctuation. The roadmap is designed to smooth that pattern and anchor more predictable, policy-backed growth. Indonesian officials also see it as a tool to rebalance exports toward higher-value goods and reduce the bilateral trade deficit.
The strategic relationship itself was elevated to a formal Strategic Partnership in 2025. The new roadmap operationalises that upgrade. It extends cooperation into investment, security, transnational crime and joint work within ASEAN — framing Indonesia Thailand trade as part of a wider regional agenda. As one analyst observation in the Indonesian press put it: ‘Indonesia and Thailand are moving from transactional trade to coordinated economic integration, and the numbers already show the direction of travel.’
Where does the roadmap create sectoral openings?
The roadmap’s sectoral focus matters for capital allocation. Official statements and regional media confirm cooperation will centre on food security, energy transition, the digital economy and the halal industry.
In food security, both governments plan deeper collaboration on agricultural technology and supply chains. Thailand is a major agro-processing hub. Indonesia wants to stabilise domestic food prices. That combination points to opportunities in seed technology, cold-chain logistics and processed food exports.
Energy is another priority. Statistics agency data referenced by the Jakarta Globe show Thailand accounted for 88.81% of Indonesia’s crude exports in January–June 2026, with monthly shipments peaking at US$133 million in March. That existing oil trade base supports new investment in storage, refining optimisation and logistics — even as both governments signal a longer-term shift toward renewables.
Digital economy cooperation is also set to expand. Both sides aim to build links across data, payments and e-commerce. Thailand is actively courting data centre investment. Indonesia brings one of the region’s largest digital consumer markets. The halal corridor adds another niche but growing dimension. Indonesia’s position as the world’s largest Muslim-majority market and Thailand’s established halal food exports create scope for joint certification, branding and cross-border Islamic economy activity.
A central institutional development is the creation of a Joint Trade Commission. Prabowo and Anutin agreed on the mechanism to identify business opportunities, address trade barriers and support private investment. The commission will give regulators and business a structured forum to cut non-tariff frictions that have held back some sectors.
Investors should watch how quickly the Joint Trade Commission convenes, which food, energy and digital projects receive early backing, and whether 2026 trade momentum carries bilateral flows close to the implied US$19.6 billion mark.
Quick answers
President Prabowo Subianto and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced a target of US$20 billion in bilateral trade by 2030 at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on 3 August 2026, underpinned by the Indonesia-Thailand Strategic Partnership Roadmap 2026-2030.
According to Indonesian Ministry of Trade figures, bilateral trade reached US$17.67 billion in 2025, up 1.35% year-on-year, with US$9.80 billion recorded in the first half of 2026 alone.
The roadmap focuses on four main areas: food security and agricultural supply chains, energy transition including crude oil trade and renewables, the digital economy covering data and e-commerce, and the halal industry with scope for joint certification and branding.
