Indonesia has revealed its intentions to bolster customs monitoring procedures for specific imported goods, encompassing cosmetics, footwear, apparel, toys, and electronics, as part of the country's efforts to manage its import volume.
The decision to introduce this regulation comes in response to concerns raised by business associations regarding a surge in imported goods, which they contend has disrupted local markets. The announcement was made by the president's office in a statement released on Friday.
At present, the distribution of these imported goods falls under the "post-border" classification, signifying oversight by relevant ministries. However, the government intends to reassign the monitoring of such imports to "border" control under the jurisdiction of customs authorities. Importers will be mandated to acquire permits and surveyor reports for compliance, as conveyed by Indonesia's Chief Economic Minister, Airlangga Hartarto, in the official statement.
Airlangga also assured that these measures would not have any adverse impact on the vessel dwelling time at ports, as reported by the state news agency Antara.
Last month, Indonesia implemented a minimum price requirement of $100 for items purchased directly from overseas via e-commerce platforms. This regulation also mandated that all products offered must meet local standards, in addition to prohibiting e-commerce transactions on social media platforms.
The trade surplus of Southeast Asia's largest economy contracted from nearly $35 billion in the same period a year earlier to $24.3 billion for January to August. This decline was attributed to falling commodity prices, leading to reduced exports during the mentioned period.
