Deputy Trade Minister: Wastra Export Potential Reaches USD 251.34 Million
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Trade Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri said the potential of Indonesian fashion exports lies in the rich traditional textiles (wastra) of the archipelago, estimated to hold a transaction value of up to US$251.34 million.
Roro said this export potential is supported by the expansion of global market access in 32 countries worldwide, in the form of Indonesian trade attachés and Indonesia Trade Promotion Centres, as well as the national UMKM Bisa Ekspor (SMEs Can Export) programme.
“We facilitate various business matching activities, and from January to June 2026, we conducted 424 pitching and business matching activities involving 1,148 businesses, with potential transactions valued at US$251.34 million,” Roro said at the opening of Indonesia Fashion Week 2026 at JICC Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday.
Roro said the Ministry of Trade, together with stakeholders from the central to regional levels, continues to support events that can promote the potential of Nusantara wastra as an icon bearing history and cultural stories that can attract global market interest.
Through this year’s IFW, which carries the theme ‘Ulos Simetria’, Roro said the fabric can represent a reflection of identity, balance, and the future of the Indonesian fashion industry.
Roro stressed that the theme invites society to view cultural heritage not only as something to be preserved, but also as an economically valuable commodity ready to compete in national and international fashion markets.
Ulos is seen not merely as a piece of cloth remembered or worn in various traditional ceremonies of the Batak community, but also as a symbol of prayer, bonds of affection, and local wisdom passed down from generation to generation.
“When Ulos is combined with the concept of symmetria, or balance, this theme conveys an important message for the Indonesian fashion industry: how to keep cultural heritage relevant through innovation, developing cultural values into high-value economic products, and elevating the local wisdom of North Sumatra onto the global stage through internationally competitive fashion works,” she said.
She said that through IFW 2026, taking place from 29 July to 1 August, Indonesian wastra is expected to become better known in international markets and enjoyed more widely, whether in terms of local wisdom, beauty, the stories behind each design, or the details woven into a fabric.
Roro also said fashion can lead to cultural diplomacy through bilateral conversations, showcasing the beauty that Indonesian culture and heritage offer to the world.