RI Lobbying Norway To Cut Duty On Its Tuna Exports

Oslo, Dec 3 (Antara) - Indonesia is lobbying Norway to slash duties on its tuna exports to the European country, a diplomat said. "We are attempting to get the duty lowered," the head of economic and commercial affairs at the Indonesian embassy in Norway, Herry Kostafani, stated here on Tuesday. Norway currently imposes a 24-percent duty on its tuna imports from Indonesia. Herry noted that the higher import duty was no longer relevant in this era of free trade. According to him, Indonesia`s fishery exports to Norway are dominated by ornamental fish, while its fishery imports from Norway include salmon. Both nations have entered the eighth round of talks to discuss any effort to enhance bilateral trade, he said. "We hope our exports to Norway will increase in the future," he remarked. Norway is exploring the possibility of expanding the market for its salmon in Asia, including China, Singapore, and Indonesia, which have seen robust economic growth in the past few years. Data from the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) shows Norway`s salmon exports to Indonesia rose to US$9.82 million in 2012 from US$8.11 million a year earlier. In 2012, Norway held an 86-percent share of the Indonesian salmon market compared with 54 percent the year before.