The Pekalongan City Government, Central Java, recorded that the realization of the export value of handicraft products for micro, small and medium enterprises such as batik, processed fishery products, and palekat sarongs from January to the end of April 2022 reached USD 7,495,602. Head of the Trade, Cooperatives, and Small and Medium Enterprises Office of Pekalongan City, Budiyanto in Pekalongan, Tuesday, said that although from 2019 to 2022 there was a pandemic period, the realization of export values continued to increase. "The export destinations for handicraft products from Pekalongan City are sent to a number of countries in Europe, Asia, and Australia," he said. He said that his party will provide tips that need to be pursued to carry out exports for new business actors, including regarding quality, quantity, continuity, trust in consumers in the destination country.
Several export products from Pekalongan City to the global market include batik apparel, batik cloth, swallow's nest, processed fishery products, frozen food, palekat gloves, and fibric materials. Budiyanto said that in 2019 the export value obtained from 21 business actors (exporters) reached around USD 22,692,392, then in 2020 it rose to USD 25,173,394, and in 2021 it increased to USD 30,263,567. "This means that there is an increase in the export value of around USD 3 million. Despite the pandemic, the export value in 2021 is still high, reaching USD 30,263,567," he said. Deputy Mayor of Pekalongan, Salahudin, said that often in export activities, there are by-products (derivatives) after an area is known for a product because consumers are diverse and adapted to market demand. When they buy products typical of a region, he said, consumers usually at the same time ask for other typical regional products from countries of origin that export. "For example, Pekalongan City is famous for batik products, but if the consumer or export destination country already knows the quality of the product from that region or country, they will also ask or buy typical regional products such as leather crafts, embroidery, crafts, which will certainly participate. potential," he said.
