Published 10/21/2025 17:18 | Edited 10/21/2025 18:36
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva traveled this Tuesday (21) to Indonesia and Malaysia in order to strengthen commercial ties between Brazil and Southeast Asian countries, with agendas scheduled between October 23 and 28.
According to Itamaraty, the president’s first appointment will be in Jakarta, in the capital of Indonesia, where he will be received by the Indonesian president, Prabowo Subianto, who visited Brazil in July this year.
The agenda marks a new chapter in bilateral relations, with an emphasis on economic, agricultural, energy and sustainable development cooperation.
“Indonesia has been a strategic partner of Brazil since 2008 and is the third largest democracy in the world, the fourth most populous nation and the main economy of Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)”, says Everton Lucero, director of the Department of India, South and Southeast Asia at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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Lula and Subianto should deepen understandings in areas foreseen in the joint statement adopted during the Indonesian president’s visit to Brasília: trade and agriculture, food security, bioenergy, sustainable development and defense.
“Trade has grown a lot, which ends up being something common in the countries of the region. We maintain a very significant surplus with Indonesia and other countries in Southeast Asia”, highlights the ambassador.
In Malaysia, Lula holds an official agenda in Kuala Lumpur, at the invitation of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and participates in the 47th Asean Summit. The visit aims to intensify and diversify bilateral trade and investments, focusing on strategic sectors such as energy, science, technology and innovation.
“We have been long-time trading partners with Malaysia, but we had never reached the point of elevating this partnership to a more political, more visible level. The trip to Malaysia is an affirmation that Brazil is expanding its presence, with an active voice and concrete interests in a country that is central to the region’s growth dynamics”, explains Lucero.
“It will be the first time that a Brazilian head of state will participate in an Asean Summit, scheduled for the 26th and 27th. On the 28th, Lula will also participate in the 30th East Asia Summit, where he will present the Brazilian government’s vision on economic resilience and cooperation between Asean and Brics”, says the ambassador.
Commercial flow
In September 2025, bilateral trade between Brazil and Indonesia reached US$567.8 million. Brazilian exports totaled US$373.3 million, and imports US$194.5 million. Indonesia ranks 19th among Brazilian export destinations. Brazil mainly exports soybean meal, crude petroleum oils, sugars and molasses, while it imports vegetable fats and oils, footwear and automotive parts. There are also reciprocal investments in sectors such as mining, sugar and alcohol industry, cellulose and paper, tobacco and textiles.
In Malaysia, bilateral trade reached US$487.2 million in the same period, with US$346.4 million in Brazilian exports and US$140.9 million in imports. The country ranks 23rd among Brazil’s main export destinations.
With information from Ascom/Planalto
Source: vermelho.org.br
