REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - The cases of raw rattan smuggling to China seems increasing following the ban of raw rattan export in Indonesia. Directorate General of Customs recently intercepted the raw rattan smuggling worth 2.55 billion IDR.

"After Indonesian Government bans the export of raw rattan then furniture and rattan industries in China face a hard time finding raw materials," Director of Forestry and Plantation Industries in the Ministry of Industry, Aryan Wargadalam, said on Thursday. Wargadalam explained that manufacturers in China imported raw material from Indonesia and exported the products to the US.

Several efforts have been conducted to minimize the impact of export ban. An effort is to optimize the production of rattan. "Government also encourages the production of rattan furniture and handicraft outside Java," he said.

Secretary of Directorate General of Industry, Abdul Rochim, said the policy aimed to boost rattan furniture industry in Indonesia while at the same time also to avoid rattan exploitation in which threatened the species. 

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