IMPORT LICENSING SYSTEM OF INDONESIA

QUESTIONS FROM THE United States to INDONESIA

The following communication, dated 30 October 2023, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of the United States.

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The United States thanks Indonesia for its responses in document G/LIC/Q/IDN/51. The United States has follow-up questions:

·_              Does Presidential Regulation No. 32/2022 have any relationship to Indonesia's administration of its import licensing system?

·_              Does the volume set by the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs for a particular product under Presidential Regulation No. 32/2022 affect the administration of Indonesia's import licensing system, including the total volume of import licenses that Indonesia will issue for that product?

·_              Does Indonesia wait to issue import licenses for a particular product until after the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs sets the overall quantity for that product, pursuant to Presidential Regulation No. 32/2022?

·_              Can Indonesia elaborate on what actions it has taken or is planning to implement with regard to "principles of simplification and transparency" in order to address the delays in obtaining import licenses that importers are experiencing and the reductions to volumes received?

·_              Can Indonesia please explain what is meant by "the readiness considerations of the relevant Government Agencies"? While Indonesia states it has implemented its Commodity Balance system to ensure easiness and an expedited import licensing regime, it remains unclear which products may be added to Indonesia's commodity balance policy and how that's determined. This lack of transparency brings unpredictability to the market and causes concerns for U.S. exporters, especially given the delays importers of specific agricultural products have experienced in receiving licenses since the commodity balance policy entered into force.

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