Sun, 26 Oct 2008

From: The Jakarta Post

By The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
South Korea is currently the largest buyer at this year's Indonesian Trade Expo with a total transaction volume of US$4 million.

Algeria, Pakistan and Bangladesh follow closely behind with $2.9 million, $1.5 million and $1.2 million, respectively, tempointeraktif.com reported Saturday.

The 23rd Expo, held at the Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran, kicked off to a slow start Tuesday and will close later today.

The Expo so far has only brought in $32.3 million, way below the total targeted volume of $220 million.

Last year's event reaped $200 million.

The organizing committee said 2,300 foreign buyers from 108 countries participated at the trade expo, which exhibits Indonesia's leading export products, including furniture, electronics, shoes, textiles and garments as well as commodities coffee, cocoa and rubber.

"Perhaps more sales will take place today as it is the last day," chief expo organizer and head of the National Export Development Board Bachrul Chairi said.

Furniture is still the highest generating product, at a total of $8.1 million or 25.2 percent of the total transaction value to date.

Mining products and crude palm oil follow second and third, generating $7.3 million and $5.8 million, respectively.