Few RI exports benefit from GSP<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's exporters have not fully benefited
\nfrom the United States' General System of Preferences (GSP)
\nfacilities, the director general of foreign trade, Djoko
\nMoeljono, has said.<\/p>\n
Djoko said yesterday the types of export commodities that suit
\nthe GSP facilities were limited and most Indonesian commodities
\ncould not meet the requirements.<\/p>\n
\"Up to 1996, the types of commodities that used the facilities
\nwere dominated only by certain products, such as electronics and
\ntelecommunications equipment, wooden furniture and rubber
\ngloves,\" he said in his speech at the opening of a workshop on
\nthe use of GSP facilities in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
According to the Directorate General of International Trade,
\nexport products from Indonesia to the United States which used
\nthe GSP reached US$1.86 billion in 1996, 24.3 percent of the
\ntotal export value to the U.S.<\/p>\n
From January to October 1997, the value of exports to the U.S.
\nusing the GSP was $1.5 billion, or 23.5 percent of total exports
\nto the country.<\/p>\n
Djoko said the amount was much lower than export's from
\nMalaysia, about $4.1 billion, which used the same facilities in
\n1996; Thailand, $2.3 billion; and Brazil, $1.9 billion.<\/p>\n
Exports of certain commodities from developing countries to
\nthe U.S. under the GSP facilities are exempted from customs
\nduties.<\/p>\n
Similar facilities are provided by European countries but they
\nonly reduce the import tariffs, instead of eliminating them.<\/p>\n
There are about 192 items that can be exported from Indonesia
\nusing the facilities, including food products, plastic goods and
\njewelry.<\/p>\n
Djoko said Indonesia's exporters have also not fully used the
\nopportunities to request for additional products which could
\nreceive the facilities.<\/p>\n
They had also not fully used the opportunity to extend the GSP
\nfor products which had reached the \"competitive needs limits\", he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Djoko said agribusiness commodities had good potentials for
\nexport to the U.S., especially during the monetary crisis.<\/p>\n
He said he expected the country would continue to receive the
\nGSP facilities from the U.S. after the program expires next June
\n30.<\/p>\n
Data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade shows that
\nIndonesia's non-oil and gas exports to the U.S. in the first half
\nof 1997 reached $3.31 billion, up from $2.96 billion in the same
\nperiod for 1996. (das)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/few-ri-exports-benefit-from-gsp-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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