EU, Belgium Welcomes Exports of Furniture and Wood Products from Indonesia

Brussels, MINA – The European Union and Belgium welcome the export of furniture and wood products from Indonesia.

According to Alexander de Groot, a representative from the Association of Belgian Wood and Furniture Industry Entrepreneurs, Indonesian products have a comparative advantage with the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT), certification in every forest wood product originating from Indonesia.

“This certification helps wood importers in Belgium and the European Union in identifying and ensuring that wood products originating from Indonesia are not the result of illegal logging that endangers forests,” Alexander said at the “Indonesia-Belgium Virtual Business Meeting on Wood Products and Furniture” such as quoted from the official website of Kemlu.go.id on Sunday.

He added that Indonesian products that have been FLEGT certified are also the result of sustainable forest governance.

Meanwhile, Philippe Delhaise from the Belgian Company, Ethnicraft said his company has employed at least 1,400 people in Jepara, Central Java.

“In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Belgians and the European Union are more likely to beautify their homes by buying wood panels or wooden furniture than traveling for holidays,” he said.

This is an opportunity for exporters of Indonesian timber and wood products.

Meanwhile, there are no wood product exhibitions from Indonesia due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so digital platforms are very important to be used to help promote.

In the future, it is hoped that the European Union can carry out its commitments as stated in Article 13 of the FLEGT VPA.

The support needed by the European Union includes government and private auction policies that recognize FLEGT as a legal timber certification.

In addition, the Government of Indonesia is committed to ensuring the importance of FLEGT promotion at public and private tenders reflected in the negotiation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Indonesia and the European Union.

Meanwhile, Indroyono Soesilo, General Chair of the Indonesian Forest Entrepreneurs Association (APHI), said the European Union and Belgian markets have more potential to receive exports of wood products from Indonesia.

The European Union is the fourth largest market that receives exports of wood products from Indonesia after China, Japan and the United States.

The export value of wood products from Indonesia to the European Union in 2019 was recorded at US$ 1.091 billion. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s total exports throughout the world in 2019 amounted to US$ 11.6 billion. (R / RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)