Indonesia's industry ministry accuses trade ministry regulations of hurting manufacturing industry

The Ministry of Industry (MOI) has again blamed trade regulation regulations for hitting Indonesia's manufacturing sector, which contracted for the fourth consecutive month in October 2024 as the Indonesian Manufacturing PMI contracted to 49.2. The industry ministry questioned the regulation's claim to protect domestic industry by removing the requirement to import manufactured goods, opening the door for imports, with 88.42% of the 518 commodity groups being manufactured goods that can be produced domestically. According to the Ministry of Industry, the regulation has caused the market to be flooded with imports, which is one of the reasons for the decline of the manufacturing sector, and other ministries' policies have also affected the manufacturing sector. The Ministry of Industry hoped for concerted efforts, such as the implementation of import duties on garment safeguards, but the proposal was rejected, and concrete action is urgently needed for the survival of the manufacturing sector.