West Java’s export reached Rp33 trillion in 2023. Rattan furniture export, outside Europe, is still good.
The West Java provincial government is targeting the ASEAN region and the Middle East as new export destinations and markets for Cirebon’s rattan furniture.
“We are looking for alternatives to other countries as export destinations for (rattan furniture). We see ASEAN, the Middle East, and Africa have huge potential,” the head of West Java’s Industry and Trade Office, Noneng Komara Nengsih, said here on Wednesday.
Over the past few years, rattan furniture produced in Cirebon and other districts in West Java has succeeded in penetrating the European market, she added.
However, due to the global conflict, the delivery of rattan furniture from Cirebon to several destination countries in Europe has been disrupted and now, the trend of export has declined, she said.
Therefore, her side is exploring the option of exporting rattan furniture products to other countries outside Europe.
“What was marketed or shipped in 2023 was based on the previous year’s order, but in 2022, there was a war, and orders from Europe plummeted, so the number of exports decreased,” she said.
She assured that West Java’s exports of rattan furniture, including other commodities, are still quite robust.
“West Java’s export reached Rp33 trillion in 2023. Rattan furniture export, outside Europe, is still good,” she said.
Despite the decline in exports, she added, West Java remained the highest exporting region nationally with a contribution of 14.4 percent in 2023, a significant increase from around 13 percent in 2022.
Almost 98 percent of export commodities in West Java such as automotive, machinery, and rattan-based furniture are supported by industrial activities.
Source: Antara News