Skip to content
General

Trade Expo lures visitors with prime Indonesian products

By Rajiv MenonIndonesia
2 min read
made in indonesia
made in indonesia
In this article (5)

Visitors to the 31st Indonesia Trade Expo are sounding out the possibility of buying Indonesian products they consider to be of good quality.

Visiting the Trade Expo on Wednesday, Syrian Mohammed Khair Hadiaf said he was looking for Indonesia-manufactured pharmaceuticals.

“I work in the medical sector and my specialty is cancer. I came here to seek more information about Indonesia’s medical technology and products,” he told us through a translator application on Wednesday when he visited a booth at the expo, held at the Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo) venue in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, from Oct.12 to Oct.16 . It was the first time Hadiaf had come to Indonesia.

In another booth, Palestinian Shokri Zahedah and an Iranian calling himself only Amir were looking for snacks and sweets they could sell in their respective countries. Shokri and Amir frequently visit Southeast Asia to buy products from countries in the region, including Malaysia, but it was the first time they had looked at Indonesian products.

“You have good products. In Iran, snacks mainly come from Malaysia. Indonesian products need more promotion,” Amir said. He said if he found interesting products he would return on Thursday to make a deal.

The Foreign Ministry through its diplomatic missions invited 1,200 potential buyers from 70 countries to the expo, including those from small countries.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said 225 buyers from Middle Eastern countries attended the expo, followed by African and South Asian countries, which sent 49 buyers each, Eastern Europe ( 48 ), Afghanistan ( 42 ), Palestine ( 42 ), Latin America ( 35 ) and Fiji ( 22 ).

Poor communication skills appeared to be the biggest obstacle for buyers from small countries to make deals at the Trade Expo. Most of them could not speak English well while the expo lacked liaison officers who can speak foreign languages besides English, especially Arabic.

Questions & Answers

Q.

Which countries sent the most potential buyers to the Trade Expo?

A.

Middle Eastern countries sent the largest delegation with 225 buyers. African and South Asian countries each sent the next highest number of buyers with 49.

Q.

What was the main problem preventing some buyers from making deals at the Trade Expo?

A.

Poor communication skills were identified as the biggest obstacle. Many buyers from smaller countries struggled with English, and the expo lacked liaison officers speaking other foreign languages, particularly Arabic.

Q.

When and where was the 31st Indonesia Trade Expo held?

A.

The 31st Indonesia Trade Expo took place from October 12 to October 16. It was held at the Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo) venue, located in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.

Q.

What type of products were buyers from Syria, Palestine, and Iran interested in?

A.

The Syrian visitor was looking for Indonesia-manufactured pharmaceuticals and medical technology. The Palestinian and Iranian buyers were seeking snacks and sweets to sell in their home countries.

Reader pulse

What is the biggest takeaway?

17,379 votes so far

Weekly Briefing

Asia's retail intelligence, in your inbox

Monday, Wednesday and a Friday Weekly Wrap: the retail stories, numbers and moves that mattered across Asia. Nothing else, and you can unsubscribe in one click.

  • Top industry moves and market shifts
  • Weekly data-driven analysis from across Asia
  • Monday, Wednesday and the Friday Weekly Wrap

Read by retail operators, investors and brand teams across Asia.

Protected by a quick human check. No spam, ever. Unsubscribe in one click.

SecureGDPR ready