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1993-04-29
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INDONESIA TRADE DIRECTORY ON DISK
1993
TITLE : INDONESIA - LIBERALIZED TRADE REGULATIONS -
SUBJECT: TRADE REFORMS IN INDONESIA'S JULY
- DEREGULATION PACKAGE
1. NOTE: THE FOLLOWING IS A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF
THE MEASURES IN THE JULY DEREGULATION PACKAGE WHICH
ARE SPECIFIC TO TRADE.
2. SUMMARY: THE GOVERNMENT OF INDONESIA'S
(GOI'S) JULY 6 1992 DEREGULATION
PACKAGE LIFTED NON-TARIFF BARRIERS ON 241 HARMONIZED
SCHEDULE (HS) CATEGORIES AND LOOSENED RESTRICTIONS ON
36 MORE. RESTRICTIONS ON THE IMPORT OF USED
MACHINERY AND CAPITAL PLANT WERE ALSO LIFTED. THE
PACKAGE REDUCED A NUMBER OF TARIFFS, AND LIFTED
IMPORT SURCHARGES ON 184 CATEGORIES. END SUMMARY.
-----------------------------
REPEAL OF NON-TARIFF BARRIERS
-----------------------------
3. BATIK: THE GOI'S JULY 6 1992 DEREGULATION
PACKAGE (PAKJUL) LIFTED IMPORT RESTRICTIONS ON 241
TARIFF CATEGORIES. HOWEVER, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE
AFFECTED CATEGORIES WERE 226 TARIFF CLASSES OF BATIK
CLOTH. THIS ACTION DOES REPRESENT SOME LIFTING OF
PROTECTIONISM FOR THIS IMPORTANT DOMESTIC INDUSTRY.
BATIK IS STILL WORN BY MOST INDONESIANS, AND SOME
OBSERVERS BELIEVE THE DOMESTIC INDUSTRY "AY FACE
STIFF COMPETITION FROM COUNTRIES SUCH AS CHINA, WHOSE
LOWER LABOR COSTS COULD PROVIDE A COMPARATIVE
ADVANTAGE IN THE PRODUCTION OF HANDMADE BATIKS.
MACHINE MADE GOODS FROM DEVELOPED COUNTRIES COULD
ALSO PUT PRESSURE ON DOMESTIC PRODUCTION AT THE LOWER
END OF THE BATIK MARKET.
4. AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES: PAKJUL ALSO FREED 12
AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY CATEGORIES (MESLIN, RYE,
BARLEY, OATS, FOUR TYPES OF SORGHUM, MILLET, CANARY
SEED, OTHER CEREALS, AND CORN FLOUR) FROM THE IMPORT
MONOPOLY PREVIOUSLY HELD BY THE NATIONAL FOOD AGENCY,
BULOG. IMPORTS OF THESE GOODS WILL NOW BE SUBJECT TO
TARIFFS, BUT IMPORTERS WILL BE ALLOWED TO BRING THEM
IN DIRECTLY. THE CURRENT AND POTENTIAL MARKET FOR
THESE COMMODITIES IS QUITE LIMITED. BULOG CONTINUES
TO HAVE A MONOPOLY ON THE IMPORT OF "STRATEGIC"
AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES, INCLUDING WHEAT, RICE, AND
SUGAR.
---------------------------------------------------
STEEL IMPORTS STILL CONTROLLED, BUT MONOPOLY LIFTED
---------------------------------------------------
5. PAKJUL LOOSENED NON-TARIFF BARRIERS ON 36 CATEGORIES
OF STEEL PRODUCTS. PREVIOUSLY, STATE"OWNED PT KRAKATAU
STEEL CONTROLLED ALL IMPORTS OF THESE PRODUCTS. UNDER
THE NEW PACKAGE, IMPORTER/PRODUCERS (IPS) WILL BE ABLE
TO IMPORT 35 OF THESE PRODUCTS DIRECTLY, WITHOUT
INTERVENTION FROM THE STATE STEEL COMPANY OR THE
DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY. IP'S ARE COMPANIES APPROVED TO
IMPORT GOODS FOR THEIR OWN PRODUCTION PROCESSES. THE
FINAL CATEGORY, ROTARY-FIRED MOTOR PISTONS, CAN NOW BE
IMPORTED BY SOLE AGENTS (AT/IU). THE LIFTING OF THE
MONOPOLY WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE IMPOSITION OF A 10
PERCENT IMPORT SURCHARGE ON MOST OF THE AFFECTED
CATEGORIES.
6. COMMENT: THE EXTENT OF THE IMPACT THIS CHANGE WILL
HAVE ON THE ECONOMY IS STILL NOT CLEAR. SOME
COMMENTATORS HAVE PREDICTED THAT THE LIFTING OF PT
KRAKATAU STEEL'S MONOPOLY ON THESE PRODUCTS WILL HAVE
VERY LITTLE IMPACT ON THE MARKET FOR STEEL IN INDONESIA,
BUT THE COMPANY HAS ALREADY ANNOUNCED THAT IT IS
ADJUSTING ITS PROFIT ESTIMATES FOR 1992 DOWNWARDS
BECAUSE OF THE LIFTING OF THE MONOPOLY. IF THIS C"ANGE
IS COMPLETELY IMPLEMENTED, AND LOWER PRODUCTION COSTS TO
STEEL FABRICATORS ACTUALLY FLOW THROUGH TO CONSUMERS,
THIS PORTION OF PAKJUL COULD HAVE LONGTERM, MEASURABLE,
BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY. END COMMENT.
7. NON-TARIFF IMPORT BARRIERS WERE ALSO LIFTED ON
MINERAL WATER, ELECTRICITY TRANSFORMERS, AND ONE STILL
UNIDENTIFIED CATEGORY OF METAL PRODUCTS.
----------------------------------------------------
USED MACHINERY AND CAPITAL PLANT RESTRICTIONS LIFTED
----------------------------------------------------
8. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MEASURES IN THE NEW
PACKAGE MAY PROVE TO BE THE EASING OF RESTRICTIONS ON
THE IMPORT OF USED MACHINERY AND CAPITAL PLANT.
PREVIOUSLY, ONLY SPECIALLY APPOINTED STATE ENTERPRISES
OR PRODUCER/IMPORTERS WHICH WERE LICENSED BY BOTH THE
MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND THE MINISTRY OF TRADE COULD
IMPORT SUCH GOODS. UNDER THE NEW PACKAGE, COMPANIES
WITH INDUSTRIAL LICENSES MAY IMPORT MACHINERY FOR THEIR
OWN USE OR FOR RECONDITIONING, AND PRESUMABLY, RESALE.
COMPANIES WITHOUT LICENSES SHOULD BE ABLE TO IMPORT USED
MACHINERY AND CAPITAL PLANT THROUGH FIVE COMPANIES WHICH
HAVE BEEN NAMED OFFICIAL AGENTS. HOWEVER, IMPORT BANS
ARE STILL IN EFFECT ON SOME CATEGORIES OF USED EQUIPMENT.
9. COMMENT: CONTACTS FROM SEVERAL SECTORS HAVE SAID
THIS MAY BE THE MOST FAR-REACHING SECTION OF THE JULY
1992 PACKAGE. THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY, IN PARTICULAR, MAY
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPENING TO EXPAND PLANTS WITH
RELATIVELY LOW EXPENDITURE. FOOD PROCESSING OPERATIONS
COULD ALSO BENEFIT. ACCORDING TO ONE SOURCE, SEVERAL
INDONESIAN COMPANIES HAVE ALREADY EXPLORED OPPORTUNITIES
OF BRINGING IN USED BUT COMPLETE INDUSTRIAL PLANTS FROM
EASTERN EUROPE, PERHAPS UNDER COUNTER-TRADE ARRANGEMENTS.
END COMMENT.
-----------------------------
SOME IMPORT SURCHARGES LIFTED
-----------------------------
10. THE GOI IMPOSED IMPORT SURCHARGES IN THE
DEREGULATION PACKAGE OF 1991, IMPLYING AT THAT TIME THAT
THEY WOULD BE DROPPED WITHIN TWELVE MONTHS. HOWEVER,
THE 1992 PACKAGE COMPLETELY DROPPED SURCHARGES ON ONLY
184 PRODUCTS, AND REDUCED SURCHARGES ON 81 OTHER
PRODUCTS. THE PACKAGE ELIMINATED THE 10 PERCENT
SURCHARGES ON 27 CATEGORIES OF FOOD AND DRINK, INCLUDING
PRESERVED FRUITS AND NUTS, CHEWING GUM, CHOCOLATES AND
COCO" PRODUCTS, CANDIES, AND TAPIOCA. THE 5 PERCENT
IMPORT SURCHARGES ON EGG PASTA, BREAKFAST CEREALS,
BISCUITS AND COOKIES, PICKLED VEGETABLES AND FRUITS,
MIXED JUICE, MARMELADE, AND ROASTED NUTS WERE ALSO
DROPPED. ALL THE ABOVE-LISTED PRODUCTS CONTINUE TO FACE
30 PERCENT IMPORT DUTIES.
11. THE PACKAGE REDUCED IMPORT SURCHARGES ON AMPICILLIN
AND AMOXICILLIN FROM 10 PERCENT IN 1991 TO 5 PERCENT.
TOILETRIES SUCH AS MAKEUP, HAIR PRODUCTS, SUN LOTION,
AND TOOTHPASTE WILL NOW FACE SURCHARGES OF 10 PERCENT,
RATHER THAN LAST YEAR'S 20 PERCENT. THE 10 PERCENT
SURCHARGE ON SEVERAL HERBICIDES AND PESTICIDES WAS CUT
TO 5 PERCENT.
12. THIS YEAR'S PACKAGE ALSO INTRODUCED OR RAISED THE
SURCHARGES ON 80 TARIFF CATEGORIES, 36 OF WHICH ARE THE
TARIFF GROUPS FREED FROM THE PT KRAKATAU STEEL
MONOPOLY. TARIFF SURCHARGES WERE ALSO RAISED FROM 2.5
PERCENT TO 7.5 PERCENT ON A NUMBER OF OTHER STEEL AND
METALS CATEGORIES, AND FROM 15 TO 25 PERCENT ON SOME
RUBBER PRODUCTS. THE GOVERNMENT ALSO INTRODUCED A 5
PERCENT SURCHARGE ON THE IMPORT OF NEWSPRINT.
SURCHARGES ARE NOW IN PLACE ON 255 TARIFF CATEGORIES, OR
3 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL.
-------------------------------
TARIFF REDUCTIONS DISAPPOINTING
-------------------------------
13. THE 1992 PACKAGE IMPOSES IMPORT TARIFFS ON 9,222
PRODUCT CATEGORIES, AN INCREASE OF 2 OVER THE 1991
PACKAGE. THE GOVERNMENT REDUCED TARIFFS ON 44
CATEGORIES AND RAISED THEM ON 35 CATEGORIES. THE
INCREASES AND THE NET ADDITION WERE AGAIN CAUSED IN PART
BY THE INTRODUCTION OF PRODUCTS WHICH WERE PREVIOUSLY
COVERED BY NON-TARIFF BARRIERS. UNDER THE NEW PACKAGE,
57 PERCENT OF DUTIABLE PRODUCTS ARE SUBJECT TO TARIFFS
OF 0-20 PERCENT; 42 PERCENT OF ALL CATEGORIES ARE HIT BY
TARIFFS WHICH RANGE FROM 25-40 PERCENT, AND 1 PERCENT OF
TARIFF CATEGORIES ARE IN THE 50-200 PERCENT TARIFF
CATEGORIES. MOST CATEGORIES WHICH ARE OF DIRECT
INTEREST TO THE UNITED STATES REMAIN UNCHANGED. IMPORT
DUTIES OF 35 PERCENT REAMIN IN PLACE ON SOYBEAN MEAL.
PAKJUL ALSO FAILED TO ADDRESS TARIFFS ON VECHICLE
IMPORTS.
--------------------------------
THE PROOF WILL BE IN THE PUDDING
--------------------------------
14. COMMENT: ALTHOUGH THE PRESIDENTIAL AND MINIST"RIAL
DECREES HAVE SKETCHED THE POLICY OUTLINES OF PAKJUL, THE
GOI HAS YET TO ISSUE THE "ELUCIDATION" AND THE
IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS WHICH WILL MOVE THE POLICY FROM
IDEAS TO PRACTICE. MOST OF THE CHANGES IN IMPORT
SURCHARGES AND TARIFF LEVELS SHOULD BE FAIRLY STRAIGHT
FORWARD. MANY OBSERVERS ARE WAITING, HOWEVER, TO SEE
HOW THE POLICY IS IMPLEMENTED BEFORE PASSING JUDGMENT ON
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MEASURES TO DEREGULATE IMPORTS
FROM NON-TARIFF BARRIERS AND MONOPOLISTIC CONTROL.
THERE IS ALSO SOME SPECULATION/HOPE THAT THE GOI WILL
"SSUE ANOTHER DEREGULATION PACKAGE, WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE
THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR, LATER THIS YEAR. MOST CONTACTS
AGREE THAT THIS WOULD BE PREFERABLE TO WAITING UNTIL
1993 TO ADDRESS THAT CRUCIAL SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY.
WILSON