September 3, 2009 

U.S. and Indonesia Promote Legal Forest Trading at Regional Forum

Bahasa Indonesia

Jakarta, September 2 –The United States and Indonesia convened the first-ever regional forum called the “Asia-Pacific Regional Dialogue to Promote Trade in Legally Harvested Forest Products.”   Participating countries in the dialogue included Australia, Brunei, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, and Vietnam.  Mark Linscott, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Environment and Natural Resources, led a U.S. delegation that included the Department of State, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).  The Indonesian delegation was led by Dr. Hadi Daryanto, the Director General of Forestry Production at the Ministry of Forestry.

“This Regional Dialogue illustrates the Obama’s Administration’s commitment to finding effective and creative solutions to trade-related environmental challenges,” Linscott said.  “This Dialogue allows us to exchange information, develop a common understanding of the issues, and to explore collaborative, regional approaches to address them.  We look forward to continuing this process, including inviting more countries in the region to future meetings.”  

The U.S. and Indonesia developed this initiative through their bilateral Working Group on Combating Illegal Logging and Associated Trade.  This working group was created from a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation to Combat Illegal Logging and Associated Trade signed in 2006.  The MOU was developed under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement and was signed by Indonesia’s Minister of Trade and Minister of Forestry and the United States Trade Representative.  The Working Group consists of Indonesian and U.S. government officials, and meets two or three times per year.  The Working Group provides a mechanism for consultation and enhanced cooperation to combat illegal logging, and promote sustainable management of Indonesia's forests. 

The United States and Indonesia are working to build a Comprehensive Partnership to enhance cooperation bilaterally, regionally, and globally on a broad range of issues. Bilateral trade between the United States and Indonesia totaled $21.7 billion in 2008, and Indonesia’s exports to the United States, including lumber, plywood, and wood-based furniture, totaled more than $1 billion. 

For more information about the U.S. Embassy Jakarta’s activities, please visit http://jakarta.usembassy.gov/.

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