Asmindo strengthens partnership with US hardwood exporters following Supreme Court ruling
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Furniture and Craft Industry Association (Asmindo) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening sustainable trade partnerships with US hardwood exporters, members of the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), following a US Supreme Court decision regarding reciprocal tariff policies.
Asmindo stated that this commitment is a follow-up to the signing of the Agreement on Reciprocal Tariffs (ART) between the Indonesian and US governments on February 18, 2026.
“This collaboration is based on the principles of sustainability and legal compliance, and aims to strengthen the Indonesia-US value chain, not replace domestic wood,” said Asmindo Chairman Dedy Rochimat in a statement, Jakarta, Thursday. “The imported materials are raw materials, while the added value of manufacturing, design, and exports remains in Indonesia.”
According to Dedy, the cooperation will continue even though the US Supreme Court revoked the reciprocal tariff policy, as it is considered to have long-term strategic value for strengthening the global supply chain of the wood-based furniture and craft industries in both countries.
He then expressed his appreciation to the Indonesian government for completing the ART agreement with the US.
“Thus, a mutually beneficial or win-win solution is created between Indonesia and the US. Indonesian furniture exports increase, national manufacturing capacity strengthens, and at the same time, demand for US hardwood also grows,” he said.
Dedy explained that the partnership with AHEC members is focused on increasing the competitiveness and export volume of Indonesian furniture and craft products in the global market, especially in the US, without displacing the role of domestic wood as the main raw material for the national industry.
He said that the use of American hardwood is positioned as an alternative quality raw material to enrich material variations, improve product quality, and meet the preferences and standards of high-value international markets.
So far, the value of Indonesian furniture industry spending on American hardwood is estimated at around $30 million per year.
With the ART, which is expected to encourage increased Indonesian furniture exports to the US market through more competitive trade access, Asmindo projects that the demand for US hardwood raw materials will increase to around $100 million in the next few years.
This increase is considered a logical consequence of the growth in Indonesian export furniture production, which uses a combination of local wood and imported premium hardwood for the middle-upper and premium market segments.
Through this partnership, both parties are exploring the use of US hardwood in various product categories such as solid wood furniture, interior components, and wood crafts for export to the US, European, and local markets in the global premium segment.
The cooperation also includes the exchange of information on US hardwood species and quality standards, technical dialogue on processing and sustainability, and facilitation of business networking between US exporters and Asmindo member furniture manufacturers in Indonesia.
According to the association, the initial stage of implementing the partnership focuses on market exploration, improving technical understanding of materials, and building a foundation for a long-term, transparent, legal, and sustainable supply chain.
“Indonesia does not only want to be a production base, but also a center for high value-added furniture manufacturing based on sustainability and global partnerships,” said Dedy.