Hipmi East Java Opens Export Access to Expand Markets for MSME Products
Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (Hipmi) in East Java is widening international market access for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) through its Hipmi Jatim Go Global programme. The initiative aims to help regional businesses expand and enter export markets.
Hipmi East Java chairman Ahmad Salim Assegaf said the organisation had begun communicating with representatives of several countries to connect local entrepreneurs with prospective overseas buyers.
“Our aim is to bring Hipmi East Java members’ leading products to international markets. In the near future, we will launch a member’s product for sale in a specific country,” he said during a discussion with journalists in Surabaya on Monday.
He said the outreach included the Chinese, Japanese and United States consulates general, as well as representatives from India, the Netherlands and Hong Kong, with the aim of opening cross-border trade opportunities.
He said the effort was intended not merely to build institutional ties, but to arrange direct meetings between businesses and importers so that export prospects could be pursued in practical terms.
Currently, around 10-15 per cent of Hipmi East Java’s more than 3,800 members have access to international markets, particularly for furniture and food and beverage products. Coffee, fruit, processed foods and fisheries products also have potential for development.
Salim acknowledged that regional businesses still faced several obstacles to entering export markets, including meeting product standards, limited information on international trade procedures and difficulty finding prospective buyers in destination countries.
Hipmi East Java is therefore seeking to act as a connector and provide guidance on administrative requirements and export procedures, including by establishing contact with trade attachés and overseas importer networks.
He cited the potential of tuna from Pacitan regency, which could be developed beyond raw commodities into semi-finished or processed products, generating greater added value for businesses and the regional economy.
Organic rice produced by a Hipmi member in Banyuwangi is another commodity being prepared for potential international markets.
Salim stressed that the programme was not solely about increasing the number of exporters, but also about helping member MSMEs grow by strengthening licensing, access to capital, production capacity and marketing.
Around 60-70 per cent of Hipmi East Java members are currently MSME operators. The association hopes that this share will fall to 40-50 per cent as members’ businesses expand.
“What matters more is how the MSMEs in Hipmi can move up to the next level—not because they leave Hipmi, but because their businesses have grown,” he said.
Meanwhile, Arditto Grahadi, head of Investment and Interregional Cooperation at Hipmi East Java, said the organisation was also widening access to financing through partnerships with several banks, including Bank Jatim, Bank Syariah Indonesia, BNI and BTN.
Dito said access to financing was a fundamental need for MSME entrepreneurs seeking to boost production capacity and develop their businesses so they could meet demand in broader markets.
“We connect members with banks and give them access to financing suited to their needs, including helping resolve difficulties in applying for loans,” he said.
He said he hoped that collaboration with banks, particularly regional-owned Bank Jatim, would give local businesses more opportunities to obtain financing and strengthen MSME growth in East Java.