Texas is the second-largest state in the US and a number of large companies have offices and factories there, he added.
"With the existence of large companies such as Tesla, Apple, Dell, Intel, Oracle, IBM, which are engaged in the computer and IT sector. Coupled with the move of Google and Facebook, automatically the need for commodities, such as coffee and garments from Indonesia, increases," he pointed out while speaking at the "137th World Online Gathering” in Jakarta on Sunday (October 16, 2022).
Irawan, who is currently in Austin, Texas, shared his experience of taking 4848 Group international with more than 150 webinar participants from Indonesia and other parts of the world.
He also received inputs from the Indonesian Embassy and a number of Indonesian Consulates in the United States as well as Indonesian citizens working and studying in the US.
He has visited Austin, Texas, and met with a number of Indonesian citizens during a routine recitation forum. In addition, he is scheduled to give lectures at several state universities and explore opening a business there.
"I was invited to speak at the University of Texas, Arlington, and Clayton States University, Atlanta, this October," he said.
According to him, Indonesian citizens and students are the nation's ambassadors and are the eyes and ears of Indonesia.
He said he believes that halal products from Indonesia can be exported to the US given the high market potential and compete with products from other countries such as Malaysia.
"Halal products are consumed not only by Muslims but also by Jews. In Manhattan, New York, Jews prefer to buy halal products, he pointed out.
The number of Muslim US citizens is increasing, as can be seen from the increasing number of mosques and mosques holding Friday prayers twice because of the crowds.
Irawan, who holds a Master's degree from the Department of International Business, University of San Diego, sees foreign markets as an alternative to deal with increasingly fierce business competition in the country.
The US has become Indonesia's second-largest trading partner since 2020.
According to data from the Indonesian Ministry of Trade, the bilateral trade between US and Indonesia reached US$37.02 billion in 2021, an increase of 36.10 percent compared to the previous year.
As of February 2022, US-Indonesian trade has reached US$6.5 billion, an increase of 31.6 percent from the same period of the previous year.
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Translator: Budhi S, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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