Indonesia sends first 47,250-tonne urea cargo to Australia under 250,000-tonne supply deal
PT Pupuk Indonesia has started urea exports to Australia under a government-to-government arrangement. The first 47,250-tonne cargo reached Brisbane, with total contracted deliveries set at 250,000 tonnes through December 2026.
State-owned PT Pupuk Indonesia has launched urea exports to Australia under a government-to-government arrangement, with the first 47,250-tonne shipment arriving at the Port of Brisbane on June 22. ANTARA reports that the cargo is part of a larger 250,000-tonne fertilizer deal agreed between the governments of Indonesia and Australia.
The first shipment was carried by the vessel Madi Luna from Bontang in East Kalimantan in May 2026. Speaking at the port, Pupuk Indonesia President Director Rahmad Pribadi said the deal was notable because it was structured under a G-to-G scheme and backed by a long-term contract. He added that further deliveries would continue gradually through December 2026 until the full requested volume had been met.
Pribadi framed the export not only as a commercial transaction but also as part of Indonesia’s contribution to food security and fertilizer supply-chain resilience in the Indo-Pacific. He said Australia had periodically been a major market for Indonesian urea, but described the current shipment as different because of the intergovernmental format and the longer planning horizon. The report also presents the trade as part of Indonesia’s broader food diplomacy agenda.
Indonesian Ambassador to Australia Siswo Pramono pointed to a sharp rise in bilateral trade over the past five years, from AUD14 billion to AUD32 billion. He stressed the reciprocal nature of the relationship, noting that Indonesia imports Australian cotton and wheat to support its domestic industries while now strengthening cooperation through fertilizer exports. In that sense, the shipment adds another practical layer to bilateral food-security cooperation.
On the Australian side, First Secretary Assistant at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Amanda Calmers said fertilizer supplies from Indonesia were expected to help farmers and strengthen regional food security. Scott Bowman of Incitec Pivot Fertilisers, Pupuk Indonesia’s Australian partner, said the cargo would support production of cotton, wheat, fruits and vegetables, mainly for farmers in Queensland and New South Wales. That gives the deal direct relevance for several core Australian cropping sectors rather than for trade statistics alone.