Page 80 - TEXtalks International October/November 2022

Free trade deal boosts
80

export potential

Symposium in Indonesia by Swiss

Textile Machinery Association

Swiss Textile Machinery Symposium delegation in Jakarta
Swiss T extile Machiner y Symposium delegation in Jakar ta
The time is right for Swiss textile machinery relevance of innovation in textile technology to
companies to grow their export business with sustainability and ‘saving the planet.’
Indonesia – one of the world’s top 10 textile Recent years have seen an acceleration in trade
Swiss Review show that there is scope for a significant increase in in 2008 was classed as one of eight priority countries
producers. A free trade agreement between the two
relations between Switzerland and Indonesia, which
countries came into force in 2021, and market analyses
for economic development cooperation by SECO, the
business in textile and textile machinery sectors.
Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs, with a joint
This was the background to a successful symposium
economic and trade commission established the
in the Indonesian capital Jakarta when Swiss Textile
following year.
Machinery Association members presented their
products and innovations to an invited audience of
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
200 delegates from Indonesian textile companies. Collaboration was heightened further in 2018 with a
(CEPA) for Indonesia with Switzerland and the other
The symposium audience was welcomed by Philippe EFTA countries. This more extensive form of free
Strub, of the Swiss Embassy in Indonesia; Ignatius trade agreement was accepted after a popular
Warsito, from the Indonesia Ministry of Industry’s referendum, and ultimately came into force in
Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Textile Industry November 2021.
branch; Anne Patricia Sutanto, of the Indonesian
Textile Association (API); and Ernesto Maurer, Trading between the two countries is supported by
President of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association. SERV, the Swiss export risk insurance organisation.
This insures export goods against political and
Swiss companies taking part were: Stäubli, Zeta commercial risks and facilitates credit.
Datatec, Loepfe, Saurer, Benninger, Rieter, Bräcker,
Jakob Müller, Maag, Uster and SERV. The The Swiss Textile Machinery Association is the
presentations were followed by panel discussions representative body for Switzerland’s producers of
with speakers, and there were also networking textile equipment, systems, and services. Currently
opportunities at the companies’ exhibition tables. 43 companies are affiliated, offering solutions
covering the entire textile value chain, from spinning
Also taking part in a panel at the event was Testex, to weaving, knitting, finishing, embroidery, and quality
the independent Swiss organisation which provides control. The Association is an industry sector of
testing, certification, OEKO-TEX®and other labels for Swissmem, the national representative body for
the textile industry. Discussion focused on the technology companies.

October/November 2022