The Republic of Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world, with 13,466 islands mainly in Southeast Asia, bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. Indonesia has common land and sea borders with Malaysia (Borneo and Sebatik), maritime borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, Singapore, Thailand, Palau, the Philippines and Australia. With a surface area of more than 1.9 million sq.kms, Indonesia has a population of more than 261 million, unevenly distributed throughout the country, with a GDP exceeding US$932 billion (source: World Bank, 2016).
The Indonesian economy accounts for nearly 40% of the GDP of ASEAN, an organization that the country considers to be a major pillar of its foreign policy. Hard hit by the Asian crisis of 1997, the country’s economic situation has bounced back in the past 20 years, largely driven by the export of raw materials. China is Indonesia’s largest economic partner, followed by Japan and the United States.
French exports to Indonesia are overwhelmingly in the transport equipment and agri-food sectors. More than 170 French companies are present on the Indonesian territory, employing nearly 40,000 people. Indonesia mainly exports manufactured goods (textiles) to France, followed by small household appliances and agri-food.
In order to meet the needs of its customers on the Indonesian market, Simon Associés has developed privileged relations with economic and legal partners locally.