CIKARANG – Minister of Trade Muhammad Lutfi released the first export container of high fat desiccated coconut, or dried grated coconut, produced by PT Sasa Inti to Bulgaria. The release was carried out at PT Sasa Inti, Cikarang, West Java, Friday (8/4). Trade Minister Lutfi said various breakthrough efforts needed to be taken to penetrate non-traditional markets such as Bulgaria.
“The release of the first export container of dessicated coconut Sasa to Bulgaria today is a matter of pride because it is a form of breakthrough for Indonesian businesses to penetrate non-traditional markets. Introducing desiccated coconut to the international market took time and effort, but it was successful in Bulgaria. We hope that the Indonesian representative in Bulgaria will continue to open up the Bulgarian market for other Indonesian products,” said Trade Minister Lutfi during his speech.
This dessicated coconut export is a collaboration between PT Sasa Inti from Indonesia and P.I.C.Co from Bulgaria. The export is estimated to have a potential value of USD 1.5 million until the end of 2022 with an estimated volume of 600–1,000 tons. The export of dessicated coconut is also a joint effort to popularize Indonesia spice up the world, or the mission to popularize Indonesian cooking and culinary spices.
In 2021, Indonesia’s dessicated coconut exports to Bulgaria reached USD 198 thousand. Indonesia is the third largest exporter of dessicated coconut to Bulgaria. Competitors from ASEAN for similar products in the Bulgarian market are Singapore in second place and Malaysia in fifth. Meanwhile, in the same period, Indonesia’s dessicated coconut exports to the world reached USD 234.67 million. The five biggest export destinations of Indonesian dessicated coconut are Germany, Russia, Singapore, the Netherlands, and Egypt.
Indonesia has a fairly stable trade relationship with Bulgaria. This is indicated by the export performance which is quite brilliant for Indonesian products exported to Bulgaria. The performance of Indonesia’s non-oil and gas exports to Bulgaria is USD 39.78 million in 2021. This value is quite high considering the Covid-19 pandemic is still ongoing. The main products exported by Indonesia to Bulgaria include rubber products amounting to USD 9.81 million, electronic spare parts USD 4.76 million, vegetable oil USD 3.20 million, amino acids USD 1.99 million, and tin USD 1.60 million. (LM)
