Expand export markets for industrial products, Indonesia and Norway speed up the deal

News24xx.com - The completion of the cooperation agreement between Indonesia and the European Free Trade Association Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Indonesia-EFTA CEPA) continues to be encouraged by the Ministry of Industry.

Minister of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia Airlangga Hartarto after met with Norwegian Minister of Fisheries, Per Sandberg with Norwegian Ambassador to Indonesia, Vegard Kaale at the Ministry of Industry, Jakarta, Wednesday, April 18th, "This effort is expected to expand export market for industrial products both parties as well as to complement each other and equally beneficial, and the cooperation agreement will be held in May at Jakarta. "

The agreement of both parties is to accelerate the finalization of Indonesia-EFTA CEPA as a comprehensive economic framework.

EFTA is an alternative trading block for European countries not joining the EU. EFTA formed since 1960 is only composing four countries named, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.

In the meeting, Minister of Industry said, the Norwegians want the ease of importing their milk to Indonesia. "In the conversation, Norway asked for some fishery products such as salmon and cod fish to enter the Indonesian market with low or zero tariff" said Minister of Industry.

The proposal, the Minister of Industry offers that Indonesia is also given easy access to the export of national industrial products to Norway, especially for types of textiles, clothing and shoes with low import tariffs or zero percent. "Currently, products from Indonesia are entering Europe is still subject to tariffs of 10 to 20 percent" he said.

In addition, the two ministers also discussed about the problems experienced by Indonesia related to the prohibition of crude palm oil (CPO) products into the European market. Earlier, the EU Parliament planned to abolish the use of CPO, including from Indonesia, in 2021.

Meanwhile, the Director General for International Industry's Access and Development (KPAII) I Gusti Putu Suryawirawan stated that the Ministry of Industry is focusing on encouraging the market expansion for industrial products including export-oriented labor-intensive sectors.

"Therefore, the Minister of Industry requested that the mutual benefit of each other, if Norway requested the convenience of their products can enter here, Minister of Industry also requested that the products from Indonesia are not inhibited in Norway" he said.

Putu hopes, with the strengthening of economic cooperation with Norway, can also open the market access market of Indonesian industrial products to Scandinavian countries.

Previously known from the data in 2017, Indonesia's exports to EFTA countries reached USD 1.3 billion, while imports from these four countries amounted to USD 1.1 billion. Thus, Indonesia's trade balance with EFTA still records a surplus of approximately USD 200 million.

 

 

 

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