Indonesia’s ministry of agriculture has postponed by three months draft regulations to limit access for some imported fresh produce to four points of entry.
The regulations had been slated to take effect on 19 March and require all imports of 47 fresh produce items enter the country at either the Belawan seaport in Medan, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Tanjung Perak seaport in Surabaya or Soekarno-Hatta seaport in Makassar.
Indonesian newspaper Kompas reported the country’s minister of agriculture Suswono made the decision after discussions with major stakeholders.
Both the US and New Zealand embassies in Indonesia have stated the regulation would hamper trade with the majority of their exports entering through the Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta, which is not on the government’s list of approved entry points.
Kompas added, however, the government did not plan to reconsider the restrictions and the postponement was merely to give the industry more time to adjust to changes and establish infrastructure and logistical capabilities.
