TOKYO - Indonesia has booked a trade contract for palm kernel shells for Japan's renewable energy needs. The trade contract is worth USD 138.2 million. This agreement was carried out through a business meeting and the signing of a trade agreement on Monday (26/9) in Tokyo, Japan.
The Indonesian Ministry of Trade together with the Association of Indonesian Palm Oil Shell Entrepreneurs (APCASI) facilitated six Indonesian palm kernel shell commodity companies. The business meeting that resulted in the trade contract was part of a series of trade missions entitled 'Business Meeting of Indonesia Palm Kernel Shell' which was held on the same day.
“The implementation of this business meeting is a concrete step and collaboration between the Indonesian government and the central government, Indonesian representatives in Japan, and associations in increasing exports of Indonesian palm kernel shell commodities to Japan. Indonesia is one of the countries that produce palm kernel shell commodities. In 2021, 87.1 percent of the export destinations for palm kernel shells will be Japan," said Director General of National Export Development Didi Sumedi, on a separate occasion.
Indonesian Ambassador to Japan Heri Akhmadi said, “Indonesia as the largest producer of palm kernel shells is very likely to meet the demand for these products in Japan for biomass energy sources. Thus, Indonesia can continue to increase its role as a major supplier of palm kernel shells to Japan. The implementation of this business meeting can also encourage business-to-business cooperation and increase Indonesia's exports in the renewable energy sector, especially palm kernel shells."
In 2021, the total trade between Indonesia and Japan will reach USD 32.5 billion. This value is up 33.54 percent compared to 2020 which amounted to USD 24.3 billion. Meanwhile, the total trade in 2021 has already exceeded that of 2019, which was USD 31.7 billion. (LM)