Poland is aiming to increase its presence in Indonesia’s halal meat market as the upcoming Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Indonesia and the European Union (EU) is expected to open wider access for European agricultural products. The heightened interest follows the substantive conclusion of the CEPA in September, marking a major milestone after nearly ten years of negotiations. Once implemented, the agreement will introduce significant tariff eliminations on a variety of European agrifoods.
Speaking to reporters in Jakarta, Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski, Secretary of State at the Polish Foreign Ministry, said that Poland sees strong potential in strengthening its trade ties with Indonesia. He noted that current bilateral trade remains modest at “below $2 billion” annually, a figure he considers relatively small given Indonesia’s large population of 280 million. With CEPA on the horizon, Poland hopes to expand its halal-certified meat exports to the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation.
Bartoszewski highlighted that Poland is the EU’s largest poultry producer and a major exporter of beef and halal products. He said that the CEPA presents an opportunity to bring these products to the Indonesian market. “We would like to use this opportunity, given that you have a large population which may be interested in that,” he said. “We are ready to cooperate, and it will be much easier once the CEPA is in place.” Halal meat refers to products slaughtered in accordance with Islamic dietary laws.
Poland has already taken steps to prepare for Indonesia’s upcoming halal import requirements. Beginning in October 2026, Indonesia will mandate halal certification for imported goods. To support this, Indonesia’s halal authority, BPJPH, signed a mutual recognition agreement with the Polish Halal Institute in October last year, allowing Indonesia to accept halal certificates issued by the Polish certifier.
According to EU information, the CEPA will remove high tariffs currently imposed on European agrifood products, including poultry, beef, dairy, fruits, and vegetables. The EU exported €1 billion (nearly $1.2 billion) worth of agrifood products to Indonesia last year. The agreement is expected to take effect in January 2027.
Polish agrifood exports have been on an upward trajectory. Data from the Polish trade office shows that poultry exports rose by 9 percent year-on-year in 2024, while beef exports grew by 11 percent. Overall meat product exports increased by 9 percent in value. Despite this growth, bilateral trade between Indonesia and Poland has hovered around $1 billion over the past two years. Indonesia enjoyed a trade surplus in 2024, with exports totaling $726.8 million, mainly in electrical equipment, iron, and steel.
With halal certification alignment in place and CEPA set to remove trade barriers, Poland is positioning itself to become a significant supplier to Indonesia’s expanding halal meat market.