Indonesia’s Trade Ministry will investigate a broader range of goods, as it seeks to regulate the surge in imports that threatens local industries.

Other than textiles, it is also monitoring shipments of clothes, footwear, cosmetics, ceramics and electronics, Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan said in a briefing on Friday. The ministry will review their import trend in the last three years to assess whether it needs to impose safeguard duties or anti-dumping measures.

Hasan also said that any corrective measures would be imposed based on the goods, whether they come from the US, China, the European Union or Australia. “We are not targeting a certain country,” he said.

That marks a shift in the Indonesian trade chief’s tone from as recently as last week, when he said that the government could levy as much as 200% tariffs to stem the inflow of cheap goods, primarily from China. It also illustrates the delicate balancing act nations face in attracting trade, while ensuring domestic producers remain competitive.

Several textile and ceramics factories have had to shut down operations and lay off workers because of the surge in imports, Hasan said. “If imports surges are killing the local industry, we are allowed to impose safeguard measures,” he said, adding that these will comply with the World Trade Organization’s rules. 

  - Bloomberg