JAKARTA - Indonesia is preparing to impose safeguard duties of 100% to 200% on imports ranging from footwear to ceramics, reviving a plan to protect domestic industries, according to its trade minister.
The planned import duties average more than 100%, Zulkifli Hasan told reporters on Friday. “If we are flooded with (imported goods), our micro, small and medium enterprises could collapse.”
Southeast Asia’s biggest economy issued a regulation late last year to tighten monitoring for more than 3,000 imported goods, ranging from food ingredients to electronics to chemicals.
However, the regulation was reversed after domestic industry groups complained that it also hindered the flow of imported materials needed by manufacturers.
Duties will be imposed soon and could affect imports of footwear, clothing, textiles, cosmetics and ceramics, Zulkifli said.
The Indonesian Trade Safeguards Committee is investigating to determine duty rates, senior trade ministry official Budi Santoso said on Saturday.
Indonesia mainly imports apparel and clothing accessories from China, Vietnam and Bangladesh, figures from the statistics bureau show.