ID :
20634
Tue, 09/23/2008 - 10:41
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/20634
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DESPITE DUMPING CHARGES, RI AND TURKEY KEEP ON BOOSTING TRADE COOPERATION By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, Sept 23 (ANTARA) - Indonesia and Turkey are stepping up bilateral trade and economic cooperation amid accusations by Ankara that Jakarta has committed dumping practices.
Indonesia and Turkey have agreed to meet their commitment to achieving a bilateral trade target of US$2 billion this year, the Foreign Ministry said in an official statement.
The agreement was reached during the Seventh Meeting of The Indonesia-Turkey Joint Commission (ITJC) in Ankara over the weekend.
The meeting -- attended by Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu and Turkish Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin-- discussed trade and economic cooperation, besides Turkish charges that Indonesia had been dumping its rayon and polyester fiber products in Turkey.
On the occasion, Indonesia, while promoting bilateral cooperation also lodged a protest against Turkish charges that Indonesia had been dumping its rayon and polyester fiber in Turkey.
"We told them we objected to their investigation of the alleged dumping practices. We noticed there were things against the standing procedures and we asked them to heed the matter," Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said on the sidelines of a working meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission VI, which deals with trade affairs, here on Monday.
In spite of the protest, negotiations on other lines of business cooperation proceeded well and productively.
The two countries adopted a 2009-2010 Roadmap to increase their bilateral trade and exchange investment assessment delegations in 2009. On bilateral trade, both nations were believed they would book a trade value of two billion US dollars this year.
Retno Marsudi, director general for American and European affairs of the Foreign Ministry, said that it was not impossible for the two nations to achieve the two billion target owing to the fact that at the end of 2007 bilateral trade between the two nations had reached 1.8 billion US dollars, or an increase by 127 percent from a year earlier.
Both nations also agreed to encourage their investors to cooperate in investing in the energy sector such as explorations and production of hydrocarbons and other energy projects in Indonesia.
The program aims at inviting Indonesian businesses to conduct joint explorations of sea energy resources in Turkey and third countries.
During the meeting Mari Elka Pangestu said that Turkey was one of Indonesia's main trading partners. The volume of their two-way trade totaled US$1.8 billion in 2007 with Indonesian exports to Turkey reaching 1.1 million dollars and imports 700 million dollars.
Marie Elka Pangestu and Turkish Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin witnessed the signing of two memoranda of understanding on cooperation between Turkish Radio Television (TRT) and Indonesia's Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) as well as between the Postal Services Organization of Turkey (PTT) and Indonesia's postal service PT POS Indonesia.
They also agreed to expedite cooperation in technical matters such as the signing of MoUs on agriculture and technical
cooperation.
In the meantime, Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey Awang Bahrain said the embassy had been organizing regular meetings with Turkish businesspeople of both nations and issuing a bulletin in an effort to promote Indonesia's investment and trade potentials.
Dumping Allegations
The Indonesian trade minister also met with Turkish Minister for External Trade Affairs Kursad Tuzman to discuss bilateral trade issues, especially Turkish accusation that Indonesia had been dumping its textile products in Turkey.
Indonesia lodged a protest against the Turkish dumping charges.
"We lodged the protest against the Turkish Trade Authority," Mari Pangestu said.
She said that the protest was lodged in a bilateral meeting between Indonesian and Turkish delegations during an Indonesian trade mission.
"They took notes of our objection and promised to take heed of the problem at hand. We have written them about all matters that were not in line with the standing procedures. We saw that their investigation was not in line with the standard procedures based the available data," she said.
General Chairman of the Indonesian Textile Producers Association (API) Benny Sutrisno saw that the Turkish dumping charges against Indonesian synthetic fiber was unfair, because Turkey was not a producer of synthetic fiber.
"Turkey is not a producer of synthetic fiber and this country is only a cotton producer," he said in response to the Turkish allegations.
Indonesia along with China and India had been accused of having dumped their polyester fiber in Turkey. As many as 22 yarn companies and three supporting companies in Turkey accused three Indonesian companies of dumping practices last year.
The three Indonesian companies were PT. Polyssindo Eka Perkasa, PT. Indo Liberty Textile and PT. Yarn Manunggal Jaya. In February 2008, the Turkish Dumping Authorities had already investigated four companies in Indonesia.
Indonesia and Turkey have agreed to meet their commitment to achieving a bilateral trade target of US$2 billion this year, the Foreign Ministry said in an official statement.
The agreement was reached during the Seventh Meeting of The Indonesia-Turkey Joint Commission (ITJC) in Ankara over the weekend.
The meeting -- attended by Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu and Turkish Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin-- discussed trade and economic cooperation, besides Turkish charges that Indonesia had been dumping its rayon and polyester fiber products in Turkey.
On the occasion, Indonesia, while promoting bilateral cooperation also lodged a protest against Turkish charges that Indonesia had been dumping its rayon and polyester fiber in Turkey.
"We told them we objected to their investigation of the alleged dumping practices. We noticed there were things against the standing procedures and we asked them to heed the matter," Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said on the sidelines of a working meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission VI, which deals with trade affairs, here on Monday.
In spite of the protest, negotiations on other lines of business cooperation proceeded well and productively.
The two countries adopted a 2009-2010 Roadmap to increase their bilateral trade and exchange investment assessment delegations in 2009. On bilateral trade, both nations were believed they would book a trade value of two billion US dollars this year.
Retno Marsudi, director general for American and European affairs of the Foreign Ministry, said that it was not impossible for the two nations to achieve the two billion target owing to the fact that at the end of 2007 bilateral trade between the two nations had reached 1.8 billion US dollars, or an increase by 127 percent from a year earlier.
Both nations also agreed to encourage their investors to cooperate in investing in the energy sector such as explorations and production of hydrocarbons and other energy projects in Indonesia.
The program aims at inviting Indonesian businesses to conduct joint explorations of sea energy resources in Turkey and third countries.
During the meeting Mari Elka Pangestu said that Turkey was one of Indonesia's main trading partners. The volume of their two-way trade totaled US$1.8 billion in 2007 with Indonesian exports to Turkey reaching 1.1 million dollars and imports 700 million dollars.
Marie Elka Pangestu and Turkish Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin witnessed the signing of two memoranda of understanding on cooperation between Turkish Radio Television (TRT) and Indonesia's Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) as well as between the Postal Services Organization of Turkey (PTT) and Indonesia's postal service PT POS Indonesia.
They also agreed to expedite cooperation in technical matters such as the signing of MoUs on agriculture and technical
cooperation.
In the meantime, Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey Awang Bahrain said the embassy had been organizing regular meetings with Turkish businesspeople of both nations and issuing a bulletin in an effort to promote Indonesia's investment and trade potentials.
Dumping Allegations
The Indonesian trade minister also met with Turkish Minister for External Trade Affairs Kursad Tuzman to discuss bilateral trade issues, especially Turkish accusation that Indonesia had been dumping its textile products in Turkey.
Indonesia lodged a protest against the Turkish dumping charges.
"We lodged the protest against the Turkish Trade Authority," Mari Pangestu said.
She said that the protest was lodged in a bilateral meeting between Indonesian and Turkish delegations during an Indonesian trade mission.
"They took notes of our objection and promised to take heed of the problem at hand. We have written them about all matters that were not in line with the standing procedures. We saw that their investigation was not in line with the standard procedures based the available data," she said.
General Chairman of the Indonesian Textile Producers Association (API) Benny Sutrisno saw that the Turkish dumping charges against Indonesian synthetic fiber was unfair, because Turkey was not a producer of synthetic fiber.
"Turkey is not a producer of synthetic fiber and this country is only a cotton producer," he said in response to the Turkish allegations.
Indonesia along with China and India had been accused of having dumped their polyester fiber in Turkey. As many as 22 yarn companies and three supporting companies in Turkey accused three Indonesian companies of dumping practices last year.
The three Indonesian companies were PT. Polyssindo Eka Perkasa, PT. Indo Liberty Textile and PT. Yarn Manunggal Jaya. In February 2008, the Turkish Dumping Authorities had already investigated four companies in Indonesia.
