Indonesia Eyeing Middle East for Textile Export

Textile manufacturers in Indonesia, especially those from Central Java, are now looking at expanding their market in Middle East, according to the Indonesian Textile Association (API). The US, China and Japan are currently the main export markets for Indonesian textiles. Turkey and Egypt are at present main Middle East markets for Indonesian textiles.

“We already have a good demand for our exports from the Middle East countries. However, so far, they are yet to become the main export market for the Central Javanese textile products,” API Central Java chairman Agung Wahono said in Semarang, according to an Indonesian news agency report.

“We have understood the demand trend in the Middle East countries. We hope that better trade relations with Middle East countries will enhance our export to the region,” Wahono said.

In February 2017, textiles and clothing exports from Central Java were to the tune of $181.86 million, as per data from the Central Bureau of Statistics.

Last year, total apparel exports from Indonesia stood at $11.9 billion, showing a 3.2 per cent decline year-on-year.