Indonesian Trade Delegation Brings Palm Oil to Switzerland and Spain

Indonesia’s delegation of business, including from palm oil industry, began a trade mission to Switzerland and Spain, 1 to 4 October 2018. The delegates, led by Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita, promoted Indonesian products and services as well as opened up opportunities for local companies to cooperate with counterparts in Europe. In Switzerland, the delegates met counterparts from The European Free Trade Association (EFTA), a regional trade organization and free trade area consisting of four European states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Enggartiasto also held a bilateral meeting with Swiss Federal Councilor Johann N Schneider Ammann to discuss current issues on Indonesia–European Free Trade Association Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEFTA-CEPA). `The trade mission and other meetings are not only expected to open broader market access in Switzerland and Spain but also in EFTA market, European Union, and global market. This is a good opportunity for businesspeople to expand commerce ties,” Enggartiasto said. In Spain, the delegates are scheduled to attend the European Palm Oil Conference (EPOC) 2018, a forum organized by The European Palm Oil Alliance (EPOA) to discuss how sustainable palm oil can contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The conference will show how the food industry is moving towards 100% sustainable palm oil and acts together with governments and NGOs to reach a fully sustainable palm oil supply chain. In Spain, Enggartiasto is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the EPOC 2018 and will hold a bilateral meeting with Spain’s Minister of Industry, Trade, and Tourism Maria Reyes Maroto Illera. They will discuss current issues on EU CEPA as well as hold bilateral talks. Enggartiasto also attended a business forum and business matching in Zurich, Switzerland on 2 October and is scheduled to do the same in Madrid, Spain on 4 October 2018. Indonesian delegates consist of businesspeople from the palm oil, textile and textile products, pulp and paper, coffee, jewellery, copper handicrafts, and paper products sectors. In 2018, Trade Ministry has conducted eight trade missions with a total transaction or potential transaction value of US$10,2 billion. Meanwhile, billateral trade between Indonesian and Spain grew to US$2,51 billion in 2017 with Indonesia posted a US$1,51 billion surplus. ***