Head of the Indonesian Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) Santiago, South America Indah Fajarwati Bachter stated that one of the modern retail chains specializing in home furnishing products, Sodimac, has imported Indonesian ceramic tableware after several business meetings over the past two years.
"The product has appeared on the Sodimac store shelves this month. This also indicates that the Indonesia-Chile Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IC-CEPA) trade agreement is being utilized properly due to the elimination of tariffs for ceramic tableware products," she said here Friday.
Bachter remarked that Sodimac is a retail chain that is not only located in Chile but also has modern retail stores in Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Uruguay, and Brazil.
Thus, the ceramic cutlery will also be marketed in those countries. This is an opportunity to promote the quality of Indonesian products in the Latin American region.
According to Bachter, the entry of Indonesian products into the cutlery segment in Chile is a huge step, as the retail store applies several strict criteria for its suppliers.
"First, qualified production capabilities, so that we can establish long-term cooperation. Second, supply chain orientation that is more environmentally friendly and pays attention to social welfare," she explained.
Furthermore, Sodimac took several mitigation steps before deciding to do business with PT Sango Ceramics Indonesia. The superior quality of Indonesian ceramic ware made export activities possible.
Based on data from the Ministry of Trade, Indonesia's total trade with Chile in 2022 was valued at US$584 million, up 37.5 percent of the total trade worth US$424.6 million in 2021.
During the January-May 2023 period, Indonesia recorded a trade surplus with Chile worth US$30.9 million. There is a trend of the total trade value increasing by 7.9 percent during the 2017-2021 period.
This positive trend is also expected to continue, especially with the support of the IC-CEPA trade agreement.
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Translator: Maria Cicilia Galuh Prayudhia, Cindy Frishanti Oct
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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