TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - PT Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (TMMIN) plans to export 600 units of Toyota Fortuner sport utility vehicles (SUV) to Australia in 2022. This is the first year for the company to be shipping to Australia.

"We hope it will increase in following years. We must first build trust. This is the first year [of exporting to Australia], we have to take it slow," TMMIN director of administration, corporate & external affairs, technical government affairs Bob Azam said in Jakarta today, February 15.

Bob hopes that car exports to Australia will perform similarly to Toyota Indonesia's exports to the Middle East, which has now reached tens of thousands of cars.

For the Australian market, said Bob, the exported Toyota Fortuners have met the country's exhaust emission standard of Euro 5.

Tuesday's export shipment, including the Fortuner SUVs, reinforces the number of Toyota Indonesia's total exports, which reached two million units.

Meanwhile, Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang said that penetrating the Australian market is not an easy feat. The country has strict auto industry regulations, especially in terms of fuel specifications, emissions, and safety.

Agus said that by exporting to Australia Indonesia will become an export hub for Toyota products.

"Toyota exported 119,000 vehicles in 2021. This is 40 percent of Indonesia's total automotive exports," the minister said.

Read: Jokowi Inaugurates Toyota Indonesia's 2 Millionth Export to Australia

ANTARA