Vice Chairman Han Jin-hyun of the Korea International Trade Association.

President Kwon Pyung-oh of KOTRA.

Korea International Trade Association (KITA) in cooperation with Kotra will hold the 2018 Jakarta International Consumer Products Exhibition from Nov. 22-24 at the Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta, Indonesia, the trade association said on Oct. 9.

The exhibition is the first one for KITA and Kotra to display domestically produced goods to pave the way for their exploration of the Indonesia market for the Korean products.

Some 200 firms including 160 domestic Korean firms and 40 firms operating in foreign land and in Indonesia will participate in the huge event to show off their products in their own booths to win the hearts of the Indonesian customers. There will also be side events and consultations with the viewers on various subjects including one-on-one consultations offered by the companies as part of their moves to sell their products in Indonesia.

Indonesia, with its 260 million people, is ranked 4th largest in the world in terms of population and the 7th in GDP based on PPP standard. Seven of the 20 top firms in capital market value are in the consumer materials business, with one of the highest growth rates in the southeast Asian countries.

The upcoming exhibition, although the first of its kind, will have some 10,000 viewers to visit its booths and sideline events provided by some 200 from Korea and operating overseas including in Indonesia.

Representing the interests of Korea’s global traders, KITA serves a diverse range of roles including: providing hands-on support to trade companies, drawing trade cooperation from the private sector, formulating new trade strategies, nurturing trade professionals and building trade infrastructure.

With a widely established network of 13 domestic offices and 15 overseas branches in major cities - including in Jakarta - KITA has consolidated its position as a leading business organization dedicated to assisting SMEs in gaining foreign market entry and has actively contributed towards Korea’s recent achievement of 1 trillion dollars in trade volume.

Since Korea’s trade volume reached 1 billion dollars in 1967, the country has achieved remarkable economic growth over the past few decades, becoming the ninth country in the world in 2011 to attain a trillion-dollar trade volume. This signifies a new opportunity for Korea to raise its status in the global economic arena. To create a new paradigm fit for this new chapter in trade, KITA will make its utmost effort to lay the groundwork for future trade through maximizing Korea’s status as an FTA hub, bolstering growth and strengthening support for the Korean trade industry.

The KITA Jakarta Center engages the business communities in the Southeast Asia region, namely Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, to network and partner with Korean companies for trade and investment.

The KITA Jakarta Center also acts on behalf of Korean small and medium enterprises for business facilitation so as to explore potential business opportunities between the companies in Korea and Southeast Asia region.

A scene from the International Consumer Products Exhibition held in Vietnam in May by the Korea International Trade Association. (Photos: KITA,KOTRA)