Bali craftsmen have been steadily exporting their handicrafts for well over a decade and it is on the increase. Besides the bulk cheesy goods available on the streets in the tourist strip of Kuta, there are some excellent craftsmen up country whose work is highly prized and fetches a tidy sum. Balinese craftsmen are also prolific exporters of furniture. Besides the markets of Australia, Japan and the USA, it seems exports from Bali province to East Europe in 2006 reached a total value of US$ 2.1 million or slightly up compared with US$ 1.9 million in 2005, a provincial trade official said.
Importers in Russia and East European countries had also started to purchase Balinese handicrafts, I GN Sutedja, head of Bali`s industry and trade office.
Bali`s foreign trade activity had increased significantly compared with that in the past five years. In 2001 the figure stood at only US$146,000 but it rose to US$318,000 in 2002.
According to Sutedja, the increase in Balinese handicraft exports to Russia happened after the latter directly purchased the handicraft from Bali instead of buying them from a third country. In addition, other countries which preferred buying Balinese sculptures included the United States and Australia.
Source: Antara News
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