Heaptalk, Jakarta — Indonesia’s Trade Minister Budi Santoso has announced plans to review Trade Ministerial Regulation (Permendag) Number 8 of 2024, which governs import policies and procedures. The regulation has been scrutinized due to concerns over illegal textile imports.
Budi said the government remains open to revisiting the regulation in collaboration with other ministers. “The policy can be evaluated at any time. We will see what adjustments are needed,” he remarked at the Presidential Palace recently.
However, he dismissed allegations that the regulation directly contributes to illegal imports, which have been cited as a burden on the domestic textile industry.
Labor Minister Yassierli previously urged Budi to reassess the regulation, highlighting its adverse effects on local textile manufacturers. According to Yassierli, the influx of cheap imported textiles, facilitated by regulatory loopholes, has put immense pressure on the industry.
“Illegal imports and smuggling have flooded the domestic market with extremely low-cost textiles. As a result, many of our companies struggle to compete and survive,” Yassierli explained.
The issue was already raised at a ministerial coordination meeting. The decision to amend the regulation will ultimately rest with Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto.
“The matter was discussed at the ministerial level, and the Coordinating Minister will handle the follow-up review,” Yassierli concluded.
