East Java trade mission to Maluku transaction value reaches Rp460.75b

The East Java Provincial Trade Mission in Maluku Province held at The Natsepa Resort & Conference Center in Central Maluku Regency, Maluku recorded a transaction value of Rp460.75 billion as of Apr. 23, 2025. East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, who directly led the activity, stated that this achievement shows the resilience and strength of the East Java trade sector amid the global economic slowdown.

"We facilitate meetings between business actors, both traders and buyers, from East Java and Maluku. The goal is to expand the potential for trade, fisheries, agribusiness, and investment opportunities in an integrated manner," she explained.

Khofifah added that the trade mission is not only about economic benefits, but it is also a place for cultural and traditional exchange between regions.

Several commodities that was part of the recorded transactions fishery products, tobacco products, eggs and chicken products, rice, poultry carcasses, animal feed, whole coconuts, logs, snacks, and forest products. Khofifah said that the trade mission's transaction value has doubled compared to the previous edition in December 2021, and it is expected to continue to increase by the time the activitiy ended.

Furthermore, Khofifah emphasized that inter-regional trade is one of the main drivers of East Java's economy. Based on data from Indonesian Inter-Regional Trade 2023, East Java recorded the highest trade surplus reaching Rp209 trillion.

"This is thanks to good collaboration between East Java and partner provinces, including Maluku," she said.

East Java's 14.39 percent contribution to the Indonesian gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024 makes it the province with the second highest economic contribution nationally after the Jakarta Special Capital Region. The province also contributed to 25.23 percent of Java Island's gross regional domestic product (GRDP). In the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024, East Java's economy grew by 5.03 percent year-on-year (yoy) with a GRDP value based on current prices of Rp802.45 trillion.

Khofifah said that Maluku supplies several important commodities such as copper plates, crude palm oil, logs, spices, rubber, alcohol, fruit, and frozen fish. Conversely, East Java supplies trucks, rice, medicines, frozen meat, flour, sugar, motor vehicles, and other manufactured products to Maluku.

She hopes that the trade mission will be able to strengthen economic and cultural cooperation between the two provinces and improve the quality of human resources through cooperation in the field of education.

"We want to expand access to education by opening opportunities for Maluku students to study at six East Java Taruna Nusantara high schools, which are [all] boarding schools, and collaborate with the TNI (Indonesian Military), POLRI (Indonesian Police), and IPDN (Institut Pemerintah Dalam Negeri)," she said.

Khofifah also emphasized the importance of fostering a younger generation that excels academically as well as posssesses a national and archipelagic insight that could help realize the Indonesia Gold Vision 2045.

Meanwhile, Maluku Governor Hendrik Lewerissa welcomed the East Java Trade Mission to Maluku. He considered the activity as a strategic step to strengthen regional economic resilience and open up opportunities for long-term cooperation.

"One commodity can provide value, but collaboration can secure the future," said Hendrik.

In addition, the trade mission features the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the governors of East Java and Maluku, as well as a cooperation agreement between regional government organizations, region-owned enterprises, and businesses from the two provinces.