Indonesia’s fresh produce imports fell more than 18 per cent in January to August this year compared to last, reports Indonesia Finance Today (IFT).
Volumes arriving during that period stood at 570,000 tonnes, down from 700,000 in 2011, the article said.
But around half of all imported produce still came from China, despite port entry restrictions for some Chinese produce. Fruit and vegetables from Thailand, Australia and the US made up the rest.
Imports through Indonesia’s Tanjung Priok port are now restricted to those countries with CRA passes for specific produce from Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture.
Currently Australia, Canada, the US and New Zealand have CRA passes for all approved produce exports to Indonesia. Thailand is in the process of obtaining one for onions, but China as yet does not have passes for all its wares for Tanjung Priok, the report said.
“So far, China often disobeys the import regulations in Indonesia,” an Indonesian official is quoted as saying.
To date, 47 horticultural products are allowed to enter through Tanjung Priok port from approved countries. These include softfruit, durian, longan, pineapple, squash, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, sweetcorn, potatoes, radishes, peppers, lettuce, celery, sweet potatoes and carrots.
Indonesia’s Agricultural Quarantine Agency and the Customs Service Office of Tanjung Priok recently thwarted the illegal entry of grapes from China in mislabelled containers. The importer may be subjected to criminal offense of false documents.
Agung Kuswandono, director general of Indonesia’s Customs and Finance Ministry, said his department is working together with quarantine agency to check all import arrivals.
Produce imports are also permitted through Indonesia’s Belawan port, Tanjung Perak Port, Makassar Port, and Soekarno-Hatta Airport, the IFT said. Three other ports located in Batam, Karimun and Bintan are reportedly free-trade ports.
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