JAKARTA: Indonesia’s plastic products are excluded from antidumping duty, since it has been proved not to harm similar industries in Turkey.

 Director of Trade Security at Trade Ministry Ernawati said the investigation result showed that Indonesia's polyethylene terepthalate (PET) product is less than 3% of Turkey's market share.

 Therefore, it proved that the loss suffered by such industries in Turkey is not caused by Indonesian products.

 "Based on that finding, our products are now free from Turkey's antidumping-import duty. This is a good news for us, “she said yesterday.

 The case appeared in Turkey as Artenius Turkpet Chemicals and Pet Delivery Comp San Inc, Turkey-based plastic companies, called petition for safeguard investigation over plastic product of PET on March 11, 2011.

 Responding it, Indonesian Trade Ministry along with plastic exporters and association addressed submission on March 23, 2011 and delivered several considerations in a hearing forum held by Turkey’s trade authority on May 10, 2011.

 Before the case appeared, Turkey had launched similiar investigation resulted to the imposition of antidumping duty for Indonesia's plastic goods for 3 years.

 Therefore, Ernawati indicted that Turkey government is trying to protect its local industries because the safeguard investigation was started soon after it ended antidumping-export duty imposition for similar product.

 Turkey is the eighth biggest export destination for Indonesia's plastic goods with total export volume to 4.3 million kilograms worth US$5.5 million.

 High demand

 Meanwhile, Indonesian Olefin, Aromatic, and Plastic Industries Association (Inaplas) reported the demand for Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as plastic raw material in Indonesia keeps growing along with higher needs of industries for the product.
 The domestic demand once in bearish condition several years ago, boosting national exporters to market their products in other countries.

 The market of PET, the raw material for plastic bottle, in the domestic market is getting better, Secretary General of INAplas Fajar A.D. Budiyono confirmed.

 "Previously, Indonesia reported the excessive supply because of weakening local demand. However, the supply and demand level is on balance as the demand goes higher,” Fajar told Bisnis.

Although Turkey imposed anti-dumping duty over PET product from Indonesia, the impact isn’t too huge because today domestic demand in Indonesia is still large, therefore the product could be fully-absorbed.

 In addition, there are many opportunities in other countries. He considered export to Turkey is not too profitable because of lower profit margin. (t01/ags).