Sat, 21 Aug 2010

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - Bali province`s handicraft and other non-oil/non-gas exports to China and Hong Kong have been increasing continuously reaching an average value of US$ 3.5 million per month or a total of US$ 17.1 million in the January-May period in 2010.

The head of the Bank Indonesia (BI) branch office in Denpasar, Jeffrey Kairupan, in a report on Bali`s economic performance, said on Friday the region`s handicraft and other non-oil/non-gas exports to China had shown a steady upward trend.

Although China was actually a competitor to Bali in export markets, handicraft goods from Indonesia`s premier resort island had bright marketing potentials in China, he said.
Apart from handicraft goods, Bali was also exporting agricultural products, fresh and canned fish to China and Hong Kong.

Bali`s handicraft exports to Hong Kong , in particular, were on the rise as the goods were also popular among foreign tourists visiting Hong Kong.

Made Sudana, a Bali handicraft exporter in Denpasar, hoped the government would step up Indonesia-China economic cooperation so that Bali`s businessmen`s foreign exchange earnings could increase.

The Indonesian and Chinese governments should constantly develop their bilateral trade cooperation because China had great economic potentials and was becoming an important economic partner to many other countries, he said.

Sudana, who took part in a small industry trade expo in China years ago, said China was engaged in massive economic development and thus in need of many goods from other countries, including Bali.