Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Due to the current crisis in Europe and the US, Indonesia`s textile industry has seen a decline in its exports but it was not very significant, an industry spokesman said.

"Certainly (the crisis) has affected us. We are members of the global community, we make transactions with all countries in the world and so if any country is facing a crisis we will certainly be affected," Ade Sudrajat, the chairman of the Indonesian Textile Association (API), said here on Friday.

He said due to the crisis exports had dropped although not significantly "only between one and two percent."

Ade said the drop occurred in exports to the US and Europe. The US had so far been the main export destination comprising a market share of 36 percent while exports to Europe reach around 14 percent of total national exports, he said.

Ade however said that the drop would not cause mass lay-offs like during the economic crisis in 1998.

"There would be no mass lay-offs. What might only happen is some industries reducing overtime work or working hours in line with production cut," he said.

Ade said the country`s textile industry is on an upward trend despite a crisis in the US and Europe. However he called on industrialists to remain alert over developments in the two regions.
(T.SDP-09/H-YH/HAJM/F001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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