ndonesian Batik has a worldwide reputation. This reputation has been firmer since 2009, namely since UNESCO established batik as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO views batik as having many roles in the lives of Indonesian people. Not only as daily wear, but also as clothing in important events and rituals. "Babies are carried in batik cloth decorated with symbols to bring good luck to the child, and the dead are covered in funeral batik. Batik is commonly used in business, academic circles, and is used in wedding ceremonies, pregnancy celebrations, and artistic performances," explained UNESCO on its official website. UNESCO also considers batik as a cultural work that records the history of interactions between the people of the archipelago and other nations. "The diversity of batik cloth patterns reflects various influences, ranging from Arabic calligraphy, European garlands, Chinese phoenixes, Indian or Persian peacocks, to Japanese cherry blossoms," said UNESCO.

With this worldwide reputation, Indonesian batik cloth is in great demand in foreign markets. Even France, the country whose capital city is dubbed as the world's fashion center, regularly buys Indonesian batik every year. According to data from the Center for Crafts and Batik (BBKB) of the Ministry of Industry, in 2010 Indonesia exported batik to France weighing 266 tons with a total value of around USD 6.53 million. However, in the following years batik exports to France trended downwards, even dropping drastically since the pandemic hit, as shown in the graph. Meanwhile, according to BBKB data from the Ministry of Industry, in 2021 Indonesia will export the most batik to the United States, which is around 1,211 tons with a value reaching USD 24.7 million.
Source: https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2022/10/02/indonesia-rutin-ekspor-batik-ke-prancis-pusat-mode-dunia