16/04/2024. PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) or BNI has again shown its commitment in encouraging Indonesian coffee MSMEs to go global. This time, BNI New York Overseas Office together with BNI Xpora participated in the largest coffee exhibition in the United States, Specialty Coffee Expo 2024, which took place in Chicago from April 12 to 14, 2024.
BNI Retail Banking Director Corina Leyla Karnalies said BNI's participation is part of the spirit and mission of going global carried by BNI.
As one of the largest coffee producing countries in the world, Indonesia has a great opportunity to become a coffee exporting country. Indonesia’s deversified archipelago coffee which stretches from Sabang to Merauke provides an advantage in offering this commodity to the global market.
"America is one of the destination countries for Indonesian coffee exports. BNI sees this great opportunity and potential to help Indonesian coffee MSMEs in entering the American market," said Corina.
In this exhibition, BNI Xpora, BNI's MSME incubator, brought two specialty coffee products of its fostered MSMEs, namely Bajawa Coffee and Lampung Coffee. Both products have undergone curation in coordination with the Trade Attaché office of the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC and the Specialty Coffee Association Indonesia (SCAI) to ensure their quality and marketability in America.
"BNI Xpora is committed to assisting Indonesian coffee MSMEs in increasing competitiveness and penetrating the international market. Participation in the Specialty Coffee Expo 2024 is projected to open up opportunities for our fostered coffee MSMEs to connect with new buyers and boost the volume of export transactions," added Corina.
Specialty Coffee Expo 2024 is the largest coffee expo in North America with an estimated 20,000 visitors, mostly potential buyers. The event features workshops, lectures, awards, coffee competitions, and coffee tasting sessions.
"BNI is optimistic that participation in the Specialty Coffee Expo 2024 can provide great benefits for BNI-assisted coffee MSMEs. We will continue to support Indonesian coffee MSMEs to improve product quality and competitiveness, so that they can compete in the global market," concluded Corina.