Italy holds seminar to boost trade

Italy holds seminar to boost trade

JAKARTA (JP): The Federation of Italian industries would hold
a seminar here on Monday and Tuesday to discuss trade and
investment cooperation with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (Kadin) and business communities.

According to Dino Sorrentino, the Italian attache for economic
and commercial affairs, the seminar will present a deputy
chairman of Kadin, Iman Taufik, and Italian Ambassador Mario
Brando Pensa as speakers.

"The Italian delegates are mostly businessmen in mechanical,
chemical, pharmaceutical, transport and finance sectors,"
Sorrentino said.

Medium and small Italian firms are interested to cooperate
with Indonesian partners in the manufacturing sector to produce
textiles, marble and consumer goods, he said.

He said that during the January-October period of 1996,
Indonesia's trade deficit with Italy increased to US$380 million
from $9 million in the same period of 1995 because its exports to
Italy decreased to $619 million from $633 million, while its
imports from that country increased to $999 million from $642
million in 1995.

Sorrentino said the large increase of Indonesia's trade
deficit with Italy was caused by the increase in Italy's exports
of ceramics and wood working machinery and chemical products.
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