Indonesia's Footwear makers aim for 17 percent increase in 2010 exports

The national footwear industry expects to post at least US$2 billion in exports this year, depending on increasing number of orders from Europe and wider access in “non-traditional markets”.

“We are hoping that our exports will reach at least at $2 billion this year as orders from Europe are starting to increase and we’re entering non-traditional markets,” said Binsar Marpaung, the secretary-general of the Indonesian Footwear Industry Association (Aprisindo) on Tuesday.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a launch of a machinery revitalization program for textiles, footwear and leather tanning industries, as well as sugar mills, at the Industry Ministry.








He said orders from the European Union were estimated to increase this year by 10 percent from last year.

Indonesia’s footwear exports to the EU account for around 10 percent of Aprisindo total exports annually, according to Binsar.

The industry, he said, had managed to maintain exports from a possible free-fall resulting from the global economic crisis last year, booking more than $1.7 billion.

Footwear exports stood at $1.93 billion in 2008 and $1.66 billion in 2007, according to data published by textile research center Indotextiles, Bank Indonesia and the Finance Ministry’s directorate general of customs and excises.

According to Binsar, the “non-traditional markets” Aprisindo’s targets included Russia, Sweden, Africa and the Middle East.