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South African Minister of Trade and Industry Minister, Dr Rob Davies has arrived in Indonesia to co-chair the second session of the SA-Indonesia Joint Trade Committee (JTC). The JTC is a bilateral mechanism for discussing various ways of promoting, expanding and deepening trade and investment between the two countries.
 
Davies is due to hold talks with his Indonesian counterpart, Gita Wiryawan, to address a World Export Development Forum and the opening ceremony of Trade Expo Indonesia, and meet with the Investment Coordinating Board of the Republic of Indonesia. The Board is mandated to boost domestic and foreign direct investment through creating a conducive investment climate.
 
Minister Davies says that during the last session of the Joint Trade Committee, both countries agreed to conduct in-depth studies on the potential trade at product levels.
 
‘In addition, both sided agreed to cooperate on trade promotion activities including trade exhibitions and trade missions. In this regard, trade and investment promotions agencies will exchange views on activities relating to export and investment promotion’
 
Davies added that bilateral trade between South Africa and Indonesia has experienced an upward trend between 2007 and 2011.
 
‘Our top 10 exported products to Indonesia amongst others, comprised of chemical wood pulp, ferrous waste, iron ores, aluminium, phosphoric acid, semi-finished product,  apples, pears, quinces and mechanical appliances. South Africa’s exports mainly consist of raw materials and there is a need to diversify them to include value-added products.
 
Minister Davies is accompanied by the delegation comprising of government officials.
 
From Indonesia Minister Davies will proceed to China. According to Davies, the strength and the importance of the bilateral relationship between South Africa and China was underscored by signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement (CSPA) between the two countries during President Jacob Zuma’s State visit to China in August 2010.
 
The objective of this agreement was to elevate the bilateral relations between the two countries to a strategic level. In addition, the bilateral relations between the two countries is driven by the Bi-National Commission (BNC), comprising of committees on Economic and Trade, Minerals, Energy, Foreign Affairs, and also Science and Technology. The BNC has met on four occasions since its establishment in 2002.