The National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council, among others, signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen cooperation between the U.S. and Indonesian dairy industries.
The MOU outlines a framework for collaboration to support enhanced dairy trade, strengthen commercial cooperation, and bolster public nutrition through promoting greater consumption of dairy products, particularly in public programs.
Shawna Morris, executive vice president for trade policy and global affairs for NMPF and USDEC, says this partnership could result in more dairy exports for U.S. producers.
Key areas of collaboration include the greater integration of dairy into Indonesia’s Free Nutritious Meals program, regulatory procedures including on dairy facility registration, data sharing on market trends, information exchange on best practices and technical expertise areas regarding dairy production, and joint public communication efforts to raise awareness of the benefits of dairy nutrition. The agreement also emphasizes support for school milk programs as a catalyst for child health and educational success.
“It also charts a pathway for U.S. dairy suppliers to more fully complement local Indonesian milk supplies in meeting the country’s evolving nutritional needs during a critical time for U.S.-Indonesia trade relations,” says USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden.
With its focus on areas of mutual collaboration and support for U.S. dairy exports to Indonesia, this agreement complements ongoing trade negotiations between Indonesia and the United States regarding fostering more reciprocal trade flows.
Indonesia is the seventh-largest export market for U.S. dairy products, purchasing $245 million in 2024. With Indonesian President Prabowo’s launch of a new national school meals program that includes school milk, dairy demand in Indonesia is poised to expand significantly.
