Minister Of Trade Lutfi: WFH During The Pandemic Made US People Interested In Indonesian Electrical And Furniture Products

Minister of Trade, M. Lutfi. (Photo: Doc. Of the Ministry of Trade)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Trade (Minister of Trade) Muhammad Lutfi said that the United States (US) market has looked to the US market for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which requires work from home (WFH) or work from home in 2020.

Lutfi noted that electrical and electronic products are in fourth place in the value of Indonesian exports in 2020 with a total of 9.23 billion US dollars or a 2.46 percent growth.

"For electrical products in the form of the internet, it has a specific increase. In 2020, work from home (WFH) is needed in the United States to make their internet better, they import more from Indonesia," he said, at the 2021 Trade Outlook press conference, Friday, January 29.

Working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Lutfi, is also a blessing in itself for other export products, namely clothing or furniture. "Our point is that Indonesia enjoyed exports during the COVID-19 pandemic. We can also see the growth of mabel products in the top 20. Growing 11.64 percent with a value of 2.3 billion US dollars," he said.

In addition, Lutfi said, Vietnam's problems with the US related to the use of illegal wood are actually a blessing for Indonesia. This is because opening the tap for Indonesian exports to the US will run smoothly.

Since last year, the United States through the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has been conducting 301 investigations against Vietnam regarding furniture products and currency manipulation.

"Vietnam itself is subject to a penalty or punishment, because their furniture industry, which is exported to the US, is suspected of illegal identity. I think this furniture product has good prospects in 2021," he said.

Lutfi said that overall the value of Indonesia's exports in 2020 reached 163.3 billion US dollars. The details of the oil and gas sector amounted to US $ 8.3 billion and the non-oil and gas sector reached US $ 155 billion.

Meanwhile, the top three export products listed by the Ministry of Trade were vegetable oil products (CPO) with a value of 20.72 billion US dollars. Second, coal products with an export value of 17.27 billion US dollars and in third place there is steel with exports of 10.85 billion US dollars.