Until now, the US has not shown signs of a abiding by the ruling."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia will not respond overly to US complaint to the World Trade Organization (WTO) with regard to its accusation that Indonesia has broken free trade order in farm and animal products, a deputy trade minister said.

"We will not respond excessively to the US complaint to WTO over its beef products," Bayu Krisnamurthi said here on Wednesday.

Bayu said the stance was not taken without reasons, adding that the US also had not honored a decision by the WTO.

"In 2012 Indonesia won its lawsuit over its kretek (clove) cigarettes against the US. Until now, the US has not shown signs of a abiding by the ruling," he said.

The US sent a complaint to the WTO in 2013 to protest Indonesia`s policy to limit imports of farm and animal products from that country.

"They claimed Indonesia has broken the world free trade agreement," he said.

Indonesia has reduced imports of frozen beef up to 91 percent and required shariah law in slaughtering causing uncertainty in US frozen beef shipment.

Indonesia has set the import quota for beef in 2013 at 80 thousand tons consisting of 32,000 tons of frozen beef and 267,000 cows which are equivalent to 48,000 tons of.

(Reporting by Vicki Febrianto/H-YH)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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