Although Indonesia is a majority Muslim country, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Chair Randy Spronk says there is strong potential for U.S. pork sales.
Current volumes are small, but he says market share for U.S. pork has increased dramatically in 2024 as exports from the European Union to the region have declined. With support from the National Pork Board, Spronk recently traveled to Indonesia to see the market potential firsthand.
"If you really looked at it, they have about 280 million people and I believe 85% are Muslim. If you take the 15% remaining, that's 35 to 36 million people, and well, that's Canada. So there's still a lot of opportunity," Spronk says. "It's going to be a long-term growth market in my mind."
Spronk made the journey with representatives of the Indiana Soybean Alliance, a USMEF member organization that has developed strong relationships providing soy protein in Indonesia. He notes those relationships could provide the stepping stones for developing more pork trade.
"I also think there's opportunities for more pork products to be able to move into the country, too," he adds.
The U.S. pork market share in Indonesia has grown from 11.5% in 2023 to 38.5% in 2024, largely due to reduced supply from the EU.
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