REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, DENPASAR - Bali begins expanding its overseas handicraft market to Russia and Africa to offset a slump in exports to traditional destinations caused by the global crisis. Bali`s handicraft exports to traditional destinations in the January-September 2011 period drops 10.22 percent from 167.9 million US dollars to 150.7 million US dollars, according to Putu Bagiada, head of the export section of Bali`s trade and industry office, recently.

The decline is caused by unfavorable world economic conditions, especially in countries that were the traditinal markets for Bali`s handicraft products. Therefore, Bali now is beginning trying to find new markes in Russia and Africa. So far, only a relatively small volume of handicraft products had been exported to the alternative markets.

But basically there is great interest for Balinese handicraft items made of wood or metal in Russia and Africa, Bagiada says. One of the handicraft products that  Russia and Africa is knock-down wooden houses. 

Bali`s exports of wooden handicraft items such as sculptures and household articles to its traditional markets in the January-September 2011 period reaches a total value of 46.9 US dollars. It is down 21.37 percent from a year earlier when the figure is 59.7 million US dollars.

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