Source from: Antara News
Original News HERE
The Trade Ministry, in collaboration with Canada’s Trade Facilitation Office (TFO), unveiled the Woman in Trade for Inclusive Sustainable Growth (WITISG) Program to empower 350 Indonesian women engaged in 240 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
During the virtual training program, several experts of TFO Canada would assist Indonesia’s female exporters to gain global and sustainable business perspectives, Kasan, the ministry’s Director General of National Export Development, noted in a statement here on Tuesday.
During the online program, Canadian experts edified participants on ways to apply innovative promotional methods, such as virtual exhibitions, to promote their products, especially food and services, and to be able to penetrate international markets, especially Canadian and US markets.
The participants also received information about the Market Entry Study Program on strategies to foray into the Canadian market, coaching for Trade Support Institutions (TSIs), Training of Trainers (ToT), and local Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) training.
“The global business situation in this era has shifted to a new phase wherein creativity and innovation must be emphasized. Consumers have many choices and are becoming more selective in choosing products. Suppliers are required to be tougher in presenting their products, both by building good relationships with consumers, and caring about gender and environmental issues,” Kasan stated.
Meanwhile, Executive Director of TFO Canada Steve Tipman remarked that the TFO remains committed to offering assistance for the economic empowerment of Indonesian women to enter the Canadian market. One of the approaches involves boosting the trade capacity, especially during challenging times, such as during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Food products, especially the processed ones, have significant potential to support the growth of the trade sector in Indonesia.
During the January-October 2020 period, Indonesia’s processed food exports were valued at US$6.16 billion.
Indonesia’s processed food exports to Canada in 2020 were recorded at US$34.39 million, an increase of 38.84 percent as compared to the previous year.
Last year, Indonesia’s total exports to Canada in 2020 were valued at US$789 million, with a positive trend of 1.95 percent, during the 2016-2020 period. Indonesia chiefly exported rubber, chocolates, sports footwear, turbines, and tires to Canada in 2020.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s total imports from Canada amounted to US$1.6 billion in 2020, down 12.14 percent from the previous year. Indonesia mainly imported products, including cereals, fertilizers, pulp, soybeans, iron ore, and concentrates from Canada.
Reporter: Sella PG, Fardah
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
