REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SURABAYA -- The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) of East Java chapter is seeking to expand the export market for the province's commodities in Chile which offers large trade opportunities.

"The opportunities attract East Java particularly to improve the performance of its non-oil/non-gas exports," Director of South America and the Caribbean of the Indonesian Foreign Ministry Musthofa Taufik Abdul Latif said at a business meeting and seminar here on Wednesday.

The seminar entitled "potentials and opportunities for economic cooperation with Chile and other South American countries and the Caribbean" was held to mark the 50th anniversary of Indonesia-Chile diplomatic relations.

Chile is one of South American countries which offer investment and trade opportunities. However, only a few Indonesian businessmen have tapped the opportunities due to many constraints, he said.

"East Java has always recorded a deficit in its trade with Chile. Among the obstacles impeding the trade are long distance between Chile and Indonesia and East Java businessmen's poor knowledge of the Chilean market. It takes 24 hours to travel from Indonesia to Chile," he said.

Therefore, through the seminar, East Java businessmen would hopefully be able to identify the characteristics and potentials of the South American market, he said.

"We will also follow up on the East Java-Chile cooperation through a small medium enterprise forum which will start in August 2015. We also have proposed a seminar in Chile to introduce East Java's potentials and to hold a business meeting with Chilean businessmen," he said.

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