T

he Trade Ministry will invite more foreign trade missions to visit the country this year as part of the ministry's program to cope with the country's sluggish exports.

The program will also include sending more trade missions to non-traditional export destinations and promoting sales of potential export products.

The Trade Ministry's director general for national export development, Nus Nuzulia Ishak, said on Wednesday that beginning in March her office would invite foreign buyers to Indonesia to give them opportunities to meet local manufacturers directly. 'We're asking officials from all international trade-promotion centers to bring overseas buyers to visit a selection of regions in the country, so that they can observe and select products firsthand,' she told reporters in a press conference.

She hoped the reverse trade missions would be able to produce export transactions worth at least US$120 million. Her office will allocate up to Rp 8 billion ($653,862) of the directorate's total budget of Rp 231 billion this year for the trade-mission program.

The export outlook for Indonesia is not expected to change much this year as the recovery in the global economy remains sluggish.

Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan recently said that the government expected exports to remain stagnant at $180 billion, the level estimated for last year, as no significant increase was expected in world trade.

During January through November last year, overall exports amounted to $165.57 billion, down 5.19 percent from 2012. Apart from the reverse-trade program, the ministry would also enhance export promotion through trade missions to a number of trading partners in a bid to meet export targets throughout the year, said Nus.

Non-traditional export destinations, such as Algeria, Bosnia, Chile, India, the United Arab Emirates and Palestine, would make up 60 percent of the total missions planned, she added.

Deputy Trade Minister Bayu Krisnamurthi had earlier said that the government would also optimize trade hubs in various partner countries and seek preferential trade agreements (PTAs) with non-traditional export destinations to boost exports in the longer term.

To diversify export products, the ministry will also attempt to boost sales of 10 potential exports, such as medical equipment, processed food, handicrafts, jewelry and office stationery, according to Nus.

'These 10 products only account for 7 to 8 percent of our exports and that's why we're trying to expand them,' Nus said.

The country currently relies heavily on 10 export commodities and products, such as palm oil, rubber, textiles and footwear.

Indonesian Exporters Association (GPEI) secretary-general Toto Dirgantoro said the government's initiative to invite overseas buyers should prove positive, but the potential customers needed to be carefully selected.

'The move will have a favorable result as long as they are really potential buyers. Through field visits, they will know exactly the capacity and conditions of our buyers and hopefully they will provide us with insightful inputs that help us improve our products,' Toto said.