A partnership contract for the trade of 120 tonnes of elephant ginger priced at $156,000 was signed by the governments of Egypt and Indonesia with representatives from Cirebon CV Al Malaibari in Indonesia, and Egypt’s El Khalada Misr Industry.
Syahran Bhakti, the Indonesian Trade Attache in Cairo expressed optimism about the country’s exports to Egypt and asked that spices be issued more frequently. He noted this in a written statement saying, “Inking of this trade contract is very crucial in improving the performance of Indonesia’s export to Egypt”.
The Indonesian Ambassador to Egypt, Lutfi Rauf applauded the initiative and anticipates the trade contract would be mutually beneficial to both Egypt and Indonesia. Rauf explained that a “trade contract is expected to be done with the full intention of establishing commitment and mutual benefit. In other words, the exporter is responsible for providing goods and the importer in securing payment, so the sustainability of products ordered from Indonesia can be created”.
He stated that there is a great deal of opportunity for trade between Indonesia and Egypt, as Egypt has a population of 110 million people and Indonesia 270 million, which are large markets. This makes it more crucial to take advantage of business and investment opportunities. He also noted that other products from Indonesia are expected to be on the current list as a means to improve trade relations between both countries.
Muhammed Rifki, a representative from the Cirebon company said that they are ready to meet the demand for elephant ginger. He continued, explaining that “Egypt has requested 120 tons of elephant ginger for 10-20 feet containers for the next three months and they are valued at $156,000 (Rp2.28 billion)”. Egypt’s Al Mailabari company has previously exported nutmeg for Egyptian markets according to Rifki.
On the part of Egypt as the buyer, El Sayed Fahem declared that they were prepared to work with Indonesia on business, as they intend to import pineapple and other tropical fruits from Indonesia in addition to elephant ginger.
In 2022, the total value of trade between Indonesia and Egypt was valued at $354.2 million according to the Trade Ministry’s records and the total cost of Egyptian ginger imports was $45 million. This is according to data from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).
India, Indonesia, China, Nigeria, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia are among the nations that supply ginger to Egypt.