Indonesia and Malaysia are considering launching a new maritime route between the ports of Belawan and Johor. It is intended to facilitate the transport of goods and strengthen trade ties between the two countries. This was reported by
BERNAMA, a TV BRICS partner.
The new route is expected to carry industrial and consumer goods, as well as bulk cargo.
The parties are currently discussing the project with carriers, cargo owners and logistics companies. They aim to identify the most in-demand routes and develop a transport scheme.
Belawan is the main port in northern Sumatra. Via Johor, cargo will be able to reach the Malaysian market and then continue along maritime routes to other countries in Asia.
BRICS+ countries and their partners are actively capitalising on the unique opportunities afforded by participation in this cooperative mechanism to continuously expand bilateral trade volumes.
Russia is in the process of establishing a basic framework for the mutual recognition of electronic commercial and transport documents with overseas partners. The Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Transport have jointly approved two key documents aimed at streamlining import and export procedures, according to the official
website of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development. These documents set out a list of 48 categories of documents covering all modes of transport (including contracts, waybills and certificates) and identify priority partner countries for electronic exchange, amongst which are BRICS partner nations: China, India, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. It is reported that the transition to end-to-end electronic document flow will significantly speed up border clearance of goods, reduce administrative costs for businesses and enhance supply chain transparency. The full transition to the new system is expected to be completed by 2029.
Separately, according to
ANTARA, China and Indonesia are accelerating negotiations on their bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IDC-CEPA). China is one of Indonesia’s most important trading partners; in 2025, Indonesia’s non-resource exports to China rose by 7.11 per cent year-on-year, reaching US$64.82 billion. At the same time, China is also one of Indonesia’s top three sources of foreign direct investment. The two sides held a new round of preparatory meetings for the CEPA at the end of September; the main objectives of the agreement are to expand bilateral market access, deepen practical cooperation, and emphasise the complementary nature of the two countries’ economies.
Furthermore, trade between the UAE and BRICS partner Belarus is also growing rapidly. According to
Emirates News Agency (WAM), a partner of TV BRICS, on 7 October, the Agreement on Trade in Services and Investment signed by the two countries in Minsk in June 2025 officially entered into force. This agreement complements the broader agreement between the UAE and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), aiming to reduce trade barriers, protect investors and establish transparent business rules. It opens up new opportunities for cooperation in priority sectors such as finance, technology, logistics, healthcare and education.