"We do import products which are not domestically produced but needed. The bulk of the imports from China consists of basic and supporting materials."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said basic and industrial auxiliary materials dominate Indonesia`s imports from China as those materials are still needed by domestic industries.

"We do import products which are not domestically produced but needed. The bulk of the imports from China consists of basic and supporting materials," Pangestu said.

She added that should there be reports on the high rate of imports for consumption products that has weakened the competitiveness of local products, then the matter must still be proven.

Pangestu said if the import is high, then we just need to see in particular which imports that causing loss. Should indeed there be direct relations between the import and the loss then we can implement the anti-dumping policies.

Trade Ministry, she explained, will keep on avoiding the unfair trade practices resulting from the impacts of the free trade such as those products which are sold under their normal prices, excessive import volume and intrusion of products that are not in accordance with the Indonesian National Standard (SNI).

"For that we`re ready to put in place the anti-dumping import duty instruments and import levies to safeguard the trade (against those possibilities), by going into the checking process first for the perceived unfair trade," she said.

Industry Minister M.S. Hidayat added that the government will encourage the production of basic materials to lessen the country`s dependence on imports.

"We want to produce basic materials because these upstream materials mostly are still imported, including for textile and garment industries," he said.

Hidayat said that Indonesia will provide incentive for investors that are interested in developing basic material industries.

"Indonesia will expand basic material industries for those materials which are dependent on imports. At the ministerial levels, we will prepare for the regulation and the incentives in such a way that would lure investors into the sectors," said the minister.
(Uu.KR-VFT/HAJM/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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