Indonesia trade resumes after import permits issued

The Indonesian government has issued the first import permits for horticulture products in 2024 after a five-week delay which has impacted shipments from key supplying countries and contributed to a shortage of imported fruits for the Lunar New Year sales period. The first horticulture import permits were issued on 2 February, allowing 2024 trade to commence, according to a source from the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. One leading Indonesian fruit importer confirmed his company received an import permit on 2 February and took its first airfreight shipment of Australian grapes around a week later. “The import permits have been very late to release this year – it’s taken almost a month and a half,” he told Asiafruit. “At last, we can continue our business again.” Nevertheless, the importer noted that permits were being “released slowly”. Under Indonesia’s import process for horticulture products, importers must apply for an import licence from the Ministry of Agriculture known as a ...