Indonesia Initiates Process to Join BRICS, Says Foreign Minister

Indonesia Initiates Process to Join BRICS, Says Foreign Minister

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stated on October 25 that Indonesia has expressed its intention to join BRICS during the summit in Kazan, Russia, and has formally initiated the process. According to Marsudi, Indonesia sees BRICS priorities aligning with the current government's goals in food and energy security, poverty reduction, and human capital development. Indonesia views BRICS as a platform to promote the interests of developing countries while maintaining connections with developed nations.

Increased European Consumer Spending Drives Growth in Rotterdam Container Throughput

Rotterdam Port's container throughput reached 10.4 million TEUs in the first three quarters of this year, marking a 2.2% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Total container throughput (in tons) rose by 3% to 101.1 million tons. According to the Port of Rotterdam Authority, this growth is mainly due to increased European consumer spending after a period of weakened purchasing power. Additionally, inventories, which fell following the Covid-19 pandemic, have now returned to pre-pandemic levels. The port authority also noted that congestion issues at ports in Asia, the Middle East, and Southern Europe have eased, though ship calls are still lower than last year due to limited vessel capacity, leading to very full vessels. This means terminals at Dutch ports and in the hinterland continue to operate under high loads.