US market highest consumer of Balinese textiles

Balinese textiles have been highly praised in several countries, because the products are produced manually instead of machines. Some countries, such as United States of America, Singapore, and Australia, have served as three largest markets for the Balinese textile products, stated Adi Nugroho, the Bali BPS chairman.

According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the US market has absorbed about 23.11 percent of non-knit textile products, worth US$5.240 million, exported by Bali province in July.

The US market was the highest consumer of Balinese textiles; followed by Singapore, with 14.29 percent; Australia, with 9.30 percent; and Hong Kong, with 6.29 percent.

Apart from the non-knit textiles, the Balinese handmade goods were also exported to France (6.56 percent), Spain (4.01 percent), Japan (0.68 percent), China (0.62 percent), the Netherlands (1.07 percent), and Germany (1.75 percent). The other 31.02 percent of the handmade products were distributed to other states across the world.

However, in July 2017, the number of exports, mainly in textiles, has declined by 15.87 percent, or worth $988,739, compared to the previous month.
Meanwhile, compared to the similar month last year, the figure has marked a slight growth of $76,352, or 1.48 percent. In July 2016, the province exported textiles worth $5.146 million.

According to Nugroho, the textile products contributed to 13.75 percent of the overall $38.126 million exports in the province. Despite the increase in number of some commodities, the total exports in the province have decreased by 25.01 percent, or $12.71 million.

Meanwhile, the provinces Industry and Trade Agency in order to improve the exports have launched a design training program, the program aims to improve the designs of textile products and other derivative commodities to micro-middle businesses.