Jakarta, pelita.co.id – Furniture industry players are striving to boost furniture exports up to 5 billion US dollars by 2024. The efforts are supported by financing schemes, expanding export markets, and exhibitions that can attract 12,000 buyers from 112 countries.
Coordinating Minister for Economic, Affairs Airlangga Hartarto stated that the value of furniture exports, including crafts, reached 3.5 billion US dollars in 2022. “This means that the target of 5 billion US dollars in furniture exports has not been achieved,” he said while opening the International Furniture Expo (IFEX) 2023, held at the Jakarta International Expo, Kemayoran, Jakarta, on Thursday (9/3/2023).
According to Airlangga, the furniture industry is one of the sectors that utilizes local raw materials, generating foreign exchange for Indonesia. The raw materials are absorbed using the rupiah currency, while the export results are in US dollars.
Technically, Airlangga asked the Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, who was also present at the opening, to facilitate a study on the roadmap to achieving furniture exports up to 5 billion US dollars and its potential for expanding markets. The Indonesian Export Financing Agency (LPEI) also needs to be involved in the preparation of the roadmap.
Chairman of the Presidium of the Association of Indonesian Furniture and Handicraft Industries (HIMKI) Abdul Sobur targets furniture exports of 5 billion US dollars to be achieved by the end of 2024. Amid the geopolitical situation that is pressuring Europe, he said that industry players have targeted new export markets, such as developing countries like India and countries in the Middle East.
Based on HIMKI data compiled from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the value of furniture exports in 2022 reached 2.49 billion US dollars. This achievement is 1.2 percent lower compared to the previous year’s furniture exports.
In terms of export financing, Abdul stated that 54 HIMKI members have been supported by LPEI with a 6 percent interest rate. “Hopefully, 2,500 HIMKI members can benefit from this financing facility,” he said at the same event.
Furthermore, exhibitions also become a strategy for industry players to boost furniture exports. He said that IFEX in August last year could be held amidst the pandemic with achievements of 8,000 buyers from 80 countries.
This year, the International Furniture Expo is held on March 9-12, 2023. He said that the target for direct transactions on the spot is 250 million US dollars, while the follow-up transactions from the exhibition are 750 million US dollars. Last year, direct transactions on the spot reached 120 million US dollars.
President Director of Dyandra Promosindo, Daswar Marpaung, detailed that IFEX 2023 exhibition is participated by more than 500 exhibitors. The exhibition area covers 60,000 square meters. This exhibition is targeted to attract 12,000 buyers from 112 countries, such as India, the US, Australia, and Japan.
As of the end of 2022, the furniture industry’s performance has not yet returned to its position before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019. Director-General of Agro Industry at the Ministry of Industry, Putu Juli Ardika, is optimistic that this exhibition can boost the furniture industry’s performance.
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