Kochi invites Indonesia to use its ports

Kochi invites Indonesia to use its ports

JAKARTA (JP): The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the
Japanese town of Kochi yesterday offered an opportunity to
Indonesia to use its ports as a gateway of plywood and seafood
exports to Japan.

Tajiro Irimajiri, vice chairman of the chamber, told the press
after signing an agreement with the Jakarta chapter of the
Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) that sea port
facilities in Kochi are being restored to accommodate large
ships.

Kochi has three major ports -- Kochi, Susaki and kumowan.

"The Indonesian Association Wood Panels (Apkindo) through its
Osaka office has appointed Kochi as one of the Japanese gateways.
Some of the Indonesian plywood, therefore, enters Japan through
Kochi," Irimajiri said.

He explained that 2,000 cubic meters of plywood enter Japan
every month through Kochi.

Japan imports about 300,000 cubic meters of plywood from
Indonesia.

"When the expansion project is completed, the port can
accommodate around 30,000 to 40,000 cubic meters plywood per
month," Irimajiri Added.

Shinichi Yoshimura, chairman of the Kochi chamber, said that
the agreement signed yesterday calls for the two institutions to
encourage the exchange of human resources and information and to
promote trade and investment ties.

The signing ceremony was attended by Mayor of Kochi Tatsuo
Yokoyama and vice chairmen of Kadin Adiwarsita Adinegoro and Iman
Taufik. (yns)