The meeting was organized by the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul on Monday to connect MSMEs engaged in production of food and beverages with potential importers.
“The most important thing is to provide a means of communication between exporters and importers so that trade relations can be established sustainably in the long term, not (for) just one transaction,” Indonesian Ambassador to South Korea, Umar Hadi, said in a press release received here on Tuesday.
“We must be optimistic that the trade value between Indonesia and South Korea will continue to increase even in the midst of a pandemic,” he added.
Based on data from the Indonesian Ministry of Trade, Indonesia and South Korea traded goods worth US$18.6 billion (around Rp274.7 trillion) in 2018, with Indonesia recording a surplus of US$443.6 million (around Rp.6.5 trillion).
Indonesia ranked 19th among countries exporting food and beverages to South Korea in 2019.
Meanwhile, in response to the coronavirus outbreak, Indonesia’s Trade Ministry has developed an INAExport application to link Indonesian exporters with buyers from abroad.
Chairman of the Indonesian Food and Beverage Entrepreneurs Association (GAPMMI), Adhi S. Lukman, who was also present at the virtual business meeting, said that Indonesia and South Korea have entered a new phase of trade cooperation following the signing of the Indonesia-Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IK-CEPA).
"Indonesia is ready to meet the standards set by South Korea and provide the best products," Lukman was quoted as saying in the press statement.
Indonesian MSME products that are in demand and ready to enter the South Korean market are sweets, snacks, ready-to-eat foods, egg nuts, biscuits, yogurt, cracker biscuits, and medicines, according to the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul.
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Translator: Suwanti, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
