Jakarta. Poland wants to sell its beef to Indonesia as Warsaw’s appetite for stronger trade grows ahead of an upcoming tariff-slashing agreement.

Speaking to the Jakarta Globe on the margins of a dinner reception, Polish Ambassador Barbara Szymanowska confirmed expanding agrifood export was on the government’s wishlist.

“Poland has a lot to offer. I hope the Indonesian market will be open for beef products. Our companies are ready to export beef,” Szymanowska said on Monday evening.

Asked when Polish beef would be available in Indonesia, the diplomat replied: “the sooner the better”.

She went on to say that beef would be high up on the priority list. Once Polish beef makes its way to Indonesia, Warsaw will work on unlocking market opportunities for other food categories, such as cheese, milk, and wheat. To date, Polish apples have entered the Indonesian market.  Poland -- the largest blueberry producer of the European Union (EU) -- wants to export the fruit to Indonesia.

Jakarta’s free trade agreement with the EU is set to take effect in early 2027. Szymanowska hopes this deal better known as the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) can “open more opportunities”.

Annual Indonesia-Poland trade had always hovered around the $1 billion mark, government data showed. Between January and March 2026, trade numbers totaled $234 million. Indonesia’s non-oil and gas imports from Poland reached $38.2 million over the said period. 

According to the EU, Indonesia has agreed to remove 98.5% of its tariffs on European goods. The bloc reported that the cuts would apply to meat and dairy products.

“Cutting high Indonesian tariffs of 10% on average and individual tariffs of up to 150% will enable EU exporters to save over EUR 600 million [around $705.5 million] in customs duties paid on their goods entering the Indonesian market,” a factsheet by the European Commission reads.

The Polish government estimated that between 80-90% of domestic beef production was bound to foreign markets. Between 2023 and 2024, exports of beef and beef products topped 500,000 tons per year, with a combined value of EUR 2.52 billion (nearly $3 billion). 

Add as a preferred source on Google +