REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Indonesia`s furniture exports from January to September 2012 rose by 6.96 percent to 1.4 billion USD, according to the Indonesian Furniture and Craft Industry Association (Asmindo).

"2012 was a good year with exports of furniture up 6.96 percent despite economic crisis in the US and Europe," its chairman, Ambar Tjahyono, said at a press conference on Tuesday.

He said the US and Europe were the main markets of Indonesian furniture and crafts products. "In 2012 many buyers came from the US but due to unstable economic conditions there new markets need to be developed," he said.

He said that ASEAN countries as well as China could also become potential markets for the products. "The Indonesian position now is different. We must have courage to compete with China by marketing our products there in addition to Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan," he said.

Ambar said the Indonesian products have a very good quality and are liked by the international markets very much. Based on Asmindo data total exports until September in 2011 reached 1.3 billion USD. He hoped it would reach 1.8 billion USD by the end of 2012.

The value of furniture exports until September 2012 was recorded up 19.24 percent to 737 million USD from 618 million USD in the same period in 2011. Rattan furniture exports meanwhile increased 31.23 percent from 120 million USD to 157 million USD but bamboo furniture exports dropped 9.38 percent from 7.8 million USD to 7.1 million USD until September 2012. Exports of metal and plastic products also rose respectively 37.93 percent and 55.82 percent while other products were down 23 percent.

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