Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) from Sidoarjo, East Java, have successfully penetrated the Dutch market. They exported a container containing 1,360 boxes of processed cassava snack products to Rotterdam, Netherlands. PT Indorasa Utama, the MSME behind this initiative, also shipped 400 boxes of processed anchovy snacks and 2,800 processed onion products to the same country. This inaugural shipment resulted from a business matching facilitated by BNI Xpora between PT Indorasa Utama in Sidoarjo and Diaspora Buyer Ben Helen Trading, a member of the Indonesian Entrepreneurs Association (ASPINA) in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The handover event took place at Daxel Warehousing, Rotterdam, Netherlands, in late January 2024. Representatives from various entities attended the event, including Deputy Ambassador of the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague, Freddy Martin Panggabean, Trade Attaché Sabbat Christian Jannes Sirait, ASPINA Netherlands Presidium Member Renu Lubis, BNI Amsterdam's Head of Amsterdam Office Dwi Wibowo, and Benny and Helen from Ben Helen Trading Netherlands.
Putrama Wahju Setyawan, BNI's Director of Retail Banking, highlighted the company's efforts in bridging MSMEs and the diaspora in the Netherlands, emphasizing the tangible outcomes. This demonstrates the competitive quality of Indonesian MSME products in the global market. The business matching process involved extensive stages, including product specification discussions, packaging, sample product delivery, price determination, sales contract negotiations for long-term cooperation, and finally, shipping on November 13, 2023, through Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya, arriving in Rotterdam on Monday, January 22, 2024. Ben Helen Trading will distribute the products through various Asian stores in the Netherlands. Through BNI Xpora, the company supports the potential enhancement of Indonesian MSMEs to develop their businesses towards being productive, digitalized, and globally competitive. Additionally, BNI is ready to serve Indonesian diaspora entrepreneurs abroad in finding potential suppliers in Indonesia. The aim is to elevate more local Indonesian products to the global stage, empowering MSMEs to upscale their businesses.
