Jakarta. Indonesia is exploring new export opportunities in the so-called “eggflation” that is currently striking the US as Jakarta finds the egg shortage to have opened up export opportunities.

A bird flu outbreak has caused egg shortages and soaring prices in the US. According to media reports, retail egg prices average about $6 per dozen, roughly double compared to a year ago. Agung Suganda, a senior official at the Agricultural Ministry, said that Indonesia could supply the US with its much-needed eggs, which many Americans consider to be a breakfast staple.

Indonesia has set a goal to export 1.6 million eggs to the US a month. Southeast Asia’s largest economy is currently trying to convince the US that its eggs meet its standards. Efforts are also underway to meet the export protocols.

“The eggs that we export must be high-quality and salmonella-free. We must make sure that it does not contain antibiotic residues so they meet the food safety standards set by the US Food and Drug Administration [FDA],” Agung said on Friday. 

Government estimates showed that Indonesian farms nationwide could produce up to 6.5 million tons this year. Egg consumption stands at around 6.2 million tons, thus leading to a 288,700 tons surplus. Agung promised that the government would prioritize local egg demands over the US-bound shipments if the export deal does happen.

“We will export [the eggs] without disrupting the domestic supply and price stability,” Agung said.

The Indonesian Poultry Breeders Association (GPPU) said it was looking forward to the export plans. GPPU’s chairman Achmad Dawami, however, admitted that making exports to the US would not be easy, citing its requirements among the reasons.

“There are of course opportunities. But exporting [eggs] is easier said than done. We have to meet several requirements first,” Dawami said.

Indonesia-US trade had skyrocketed from $34.5 billion in 2023 to almost $38.3 billion the following year, according to official figures. These numbers gave Indonesia a $14.3 billion surplus in 2024. Jakarta is showing signs of keeping up this positive trend as bilateral trade topped $3.3 billion in January 2025. This marks a 9.9 percent increase compared to the same period the previous year. 

Amid the impressive trade numbers, tariffs haunt Indonesia as US President Donald Trump has been seeking to tackle Washington’s deficits. A deficit means that the US is importing more than it exports from Indonesia. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani not long ago even warned that Indonesia could be a future target for Trump’s tariffs as the country was the fifteenth-largest source of Washington’s trade imbalance.

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