CV Sono Putro, a wood processing factory in Klaten, Indonesia, received a visit from the Deputy Minister of Trade, Jerry Sambuaga, who expressed the Ministry's commitment to boosting the export performance of various non-oil and gas products, including agricultural and forestry products. To support export performance, the Ministry of Trade has implemented strategic measures, such as providing policy relaxations for wood products like S4S, E2E, and E4, increasing the maximum export area from 10,000 square millimeters to 15,000 square millimeters. Furthermore, subsidies for the management of Surveyor Reports (LS) have been facilitated for micro and small enterprises (UKM). The Ministry of Trade has also issued regulations regarding technical verification and export policies for forestry products, emphasizing the importance of compliance with technical criteria.
During the visit, Jerry praised CV Sono Putro for its wood products that have successfully penetrated the export market, particularly mentioning their competitive advantage in producing handicrafts, including guitar handles for brands like Yamaha. He highlighted that Indonesia's trade balance has shown a surplus trend for 37 consecutive months, reaching a record high surplus of USD 54.46 billion in December 2022. Jerry emphasized the need to transform Indonesia's export strategy from raw materials to value-added processed products, and he encouraged the export of products that undergo further processing to enhance their industrial value. CV Sono Putro, which specializes in producing decorative sonokeling wood products, has been exporting since 2015, primarily to China. However, the volume of exported goods has decreased in the past two years, mainly due to decreased demand from China caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
