VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia will strive to increase trade cooperation with African countries through the Indonesia-Africa Forum scheduled in Bali on April 10-11, a foreign ministry official said in Jakart on Thursday ( 22 March )

"Through the Indonesia-Africa Forum we will strive to continue increasing trade cooperation with African countries by reducing both tariff or non-tariff barriers," Africa Director Daniel Simanjuntak said.

He said many African countries still imposed high tariffs on Indonesian products. "It is hoped the African countries would be ready to use IAF as a forum to discuss tariff barriers and we could reduce them," he said. Daniel said one of the efforts yo be taken by Indonesia in the effort to reduce the tariffs was building cooperation with ECOWAS.

Economic Community of West African States is a regional economic entity consisting of 15 member countries in West Africa. ECOWAS aims to achieve collective self-sufficiency for all members by establishing a big trade block through development of economic and trade associations,

So, by building trade cooperation through ECOWAS Indonesia would be able to seek tariff reduction through especially West African countries, Daniel said.

Indonesia`s biggest trade partners in the Sub-Saharan Africa include Nigeria, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagaskar, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Benin, Djibouti whike the biggest partners in North Africa are Egypt, Algeria and Morocco. The country`s main exports to the African region are palm oil, processed food and beverages, soap, paper, garments and motir vehicles while its main imports from the region are crude oil, cotton, cacao kernel, pulp, chemical materials for fertilizers and industry, tobacco. (antara)