Indonesia Beats Safeguard Threat on Paper Exports to Philippines
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- Indonesia’s corrugating medium escapes Philippine BMTP duties, proving fair competition—exports up 27% to Manila, says Trade Minister Budi Santoso.
- Philippine Tariff Commission rules no serious injury from Indonesian paper imports; Kemendag calls for export push amid $8.96B trade surplus.
- Victory for Indonesia: Corrugated paper cleared of safeguards, highlighting effective WTO-aligned defenses and regional market strength.
The Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) announced that Indonesia’s corrugating medium paper has officially escaped safeguard duties—or bea masuk tindakan pengamanan (BMTP)—imposed by the Philippine government.
In a statement from Jakarta on Saturday, Trade Minister Budi Santoso said the clearance proves Indonesian products are competitive and traded fairly. “This exemption for corrugating medium from Philippine BMTP duties shows our products aren’t just competitive—they play by the rules in the global market. We must seize this chance to solidify Indonesia’s role as a key player in the world’s packaging supply chain,” Budi remarked.
The decision stems from the final investigation report by the Philippines’ Tariff Commission (TC), dated January 29, 2026. The report concluded that imports of Indonesian corrugating medium do not cause serious injury to the Philippine industry.
Kemendag’s Director General of Foreign Trade, Tommy Andana, urged local producers to capitalize on the ruling and boost exports. “This is great news for our industry. We invite Indonesian corrugating medium producers to ride this momentum, accelerating export performance and securing our regional market share,” Tommy said.
Meanwhile, Kemendag’s Director of Trade Safeguards, Reza Pahlevi Chairul, highlighted the government’s proactive defense. Officials submitted evidence and joined hearings to ensure a fair probe. The victory underscores Indonesia’s effective trade defense mechanisms. “This success comes from strong teamwork between the Trade Ministry and businesses during the investigation. The outcome proves our trade defense system works effectively, fully aligned with World Trade Organization rules,” Reza explained.
Statistics from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) show Indonesia’s exports of corrugating medium (HS codes 4805.12.00, 4805.19.10, and 4805.19.90) to the Philippines surged 27 percent from 2022 to 2024. The value hit $2.8 million in 2022, climbing to $4.4 million by 2024.
In 2025, total trade between Indonesia and the Philippines reached $12.02 billion, with Indonesian exports at $10.22 billion and imports at $1.8 billion—yielding a $8.42 billion surplus for Indonesia.
The previous year, 2024, saw bilateral trade at $12.54 billion, Indonesian exports of $10.75 billion, imports of $1.79 billion, and a surplus of $8.96 billion.
Indonesianpost.com | Antara
