The Governor of East Java led a Trade and Investment Mission between the provinces of East Java and Banten at the Aston Serang Hotel & Convention Centre, Serang, Banten. She announced that this trade mission had recorded transactions totaling IDR 340.477 billion, with East Java selling goods valued at IDR 312.017 billion and purchasing goods worth IDR 28.4 billion. Banten was the 33rd province visited by East Java in its trade and investment mission. A total of 157 entrepreneurs participated in this event, with 100 entrepreneurs from Banten and 57 entrepreneurs from East Java. Meetings between entrepreneurs during trade missions always result in beneficial collaborations. Trade missions are meetings between traders and buyers, and they bring together products that may not be easily identified through online media, so direct product recognition becomes important. Thus, this is a very important and mutually beneficial meeting for both regions in the field of trade.
Some of the potential commodities sold from East Java include Fish and Shrimp Feed, Seaweed, Beef, Plant Seeds, Tobacco Processed Products, Building Materials, FLPP Housing Development, Construction Investment Cooperation, Coffee, Frozen Chicken, and Rice. Meanwhile, commodities purchased from Banten include Purple Rice, Promotion and Hotel Rooms, as well as Coconut Charcoal Briquettes. This trade mission is a lengthy process of virtual business meetings to identify which products can be displayed. Trade missions are efforts to recognize the competitive and comparative advantages of each province throughout Indonesia since the domestic market is a very large market. The 270 million Indonesian population is an incredible market. Exporting abroad is important, but for East Java, strengthening trade between islands and provinces within Indonesia, with a large market, is even more crucial. During the event, The Governor also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Acting Governor of Banten, regarding regional development. This MoU was followed by the signing of Cooperation Agreements (PKS) between the heads of OPDs in East Java and Banten, as well as between East Java and Banten regional enterprises (BUMD). Additionally, PKS agreements were signed between associations such as KADIN, HIPMI, IWAPI, FORKAS, and REI from both provinces.
