Export expo records $107.70m trade

Zakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The 19th annual export exhibition, which officially closed late on Sunday, recorded a total sales transaction of US$107.70 million, a 12.7 percent increase from the previous year, a senior official said on Monday.

Diah Maulida, head of the National Agency for Export Development (Nafed) which organized the expo, attributed the boost in sales to the increasing number of participants.

The five-day expo at the Jakarta Fairground complex in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, was participated in by 1,254 companies and drew at least 3,000 buyers from 65 countries.

"The sales increase exceeded our initial 10 percent target," Diah told The Jakarta Post.

Diah said the top three most traded commodities were furniture, handicrafts and building materials.

Products displayed at the exhibition included textiles and garments, footwear, automotive components, electronics, cosmetics, food products and mining commodities.

According to Minister of Industry and Trade Rini MS Soewandi, the expo was aimed not only at promoting top quality export products but also to rebuild Indonesia's trading image in the international forum.

The government claimed that non-oil and gas exports had been on track and would reach the targeted 7 percent growth this year.

The country's non-oil and gas exports stood at $47.41 billion last year, and are projected to reach $50.73 billion this year.