Indonesia's plan to scrap import quotas still in discussion stage

President Prabowo has called for the elimination of import quota regulations involving essential goods for the population, arguing that businesses with the capacity to do so should be given the freedom to import, that bureaucratic procedures should be reduced, and that the import process should be simplified to create a more liberal business environment for businesses and to promote employment and economic development.The Acting Director General of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Trade stated that the decision to eliminate import quotas needs to be discussed by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy in coordination with the relevant ministries and agencies. The import quota policy is based on a presidential regulation with many implications and is linked to the Job Creation Act, which needs to be discussed more broadly and in depth. It is not yet possible to determine which goods will be removed from import quotas, and goods on the non-quota list are generally not subject to quotas and are based primarily on domestic demand and the needs of companies to produce raw materials. Import quotas currently in force are categorized as non-food and food. According to Presidential Regulation No. 7 of 2025, non-food commodities mainly include natural gas and oil; food commodities are sugar, cloves, corn, rice, beef, fishery products, and garlic.