KBRN, Jakarta: Indonesian bar soap produced by local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) has successfully strengthened its foothold in the Taiwan market by securing an order of 1.5 million bars valued at USD 300,000 (IDR 4 billion) through the end of 2025. 

Arif Sulistiyo, Head of the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office (KDEI) Taipei, confirmed on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, that this purchase by importer Tan Lay Enterprise Co Ltd represents a 30-40% increase compared to last year. The surge in demand is driven by the high utility of these soaps as essential components for gift hampers and souvenirs, signaling a growing trend for Indonesian lifestyle products abroad.

"Hopefully, other Indonesian MSME products can also penetrate the Taiwan market and follow this step, sustainably and growing," he said in a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, as quoted by Antara.

Arif also mentioned that the Taiwanese importer has expressed interest in plastic-based household appliances. This interest will serve as vital input for mapping out potential future cooperation expansions.

Meanwhile, the Director of Tan Lay Enterprise Co Ltd, Tan Lay Long, said that the bar soap transactions resulted from the collaboration between Tan Lay and KDEI Taipei. These Indonesian products are primarily used as components for gift hampers and souvenirs.

Long noted that the demand for these specific products has seen a significant upward trend over the past year. "In 2024, there were transactions for 1 million bars of soap from Indonesia. These soaps were used as complements for hamper and souvenir products. The use of soap from Indonesia increased to 1.5 million," Long said.

According to data from the Ministry of Trade, total trade between Indonesia and Taiwan reached USD 8.46 billion from January to October 2025. Indonesian exports to Taiwan were recorded at USD 4.71 billion, while imports from Taiwan stood at USD 3.75 billion, resulting in a USD 955.80 million surplus for Indonesia.

For comparison, the total trade value between the two regions in 2024 amounted to USD 10.65 billion. During that period, Indonesia’s exports to Taiwan reached USD 6.69 billion against imports of USD 3.97 billion, yielding a surplus of USD 2.72 billion. ***