Kadin to hold China trade expo

Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), together with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), are due to stage the China Export Products Fair 2003 to boost trade between both countries.

About 70 companies from several provinces of China will participate in the fair, which will be held from Dec. 18 through Dec. 20 at the Jakarta Fairground, Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, CCPIT president director Li Zhixue said on Tuesday.

The companies will be displaying a wide range of products, from electronic goods, train and railway components and traditional medicines to farming tools and automotive products.

"We expect to reach deals valued at about US$20 million," Li said.

On Dec. 19, a forum will be staged at the same venue for invited Chinese and Indonesian entrepreneurs to share information about investment and trade opportunities and potential in both countries, chairman of Jakarta's Kadin Bambang Pungky Purwadi said.

"We expect not only Chinese businessmen to sell their goods to Indonesia, but also Indonesians to increase their exports to China," he said.

According to Li, at the moment Indonesia is China's third- largest trading partner in Asia, after Japan and Singapore.

China's imports from Indonesia during the first five months this year were valued at $6.6 billion, while its exports to Indonesia reached only $2.62 billion. That equates to a trade surplus of $3.98 billion in favor of Indonesia.

Chinese goods with market potential in Indonesia are steel, textiles, electricity generators, cement and electronic goods, while China needs more raw oil, wood, coal and paper from Indonesia.