ID2024-0005 On March 1, the Government of Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) listed five U.S. halal certifying bodies (HCBs) on its website as fully accredited to issue halal certificates for U.S. products destined for the Indonesian market. The accreditation of these five HCBs is vital to providing U.S. suppliers with as many halal certification service providers as possible before enforcement of Indonesia’s mandatory halal certification law for most food and beverage products begins on October 17, 2024. U.S. producers seeking to send halal-eligible products to Indonesia should apply for halal certification either directly with the Indonesian government or through an accredited U.S. HCB. Mandatory halal certification does not apply to non-eligible products (i.e., haram/forbidden products such as those containing pork, alcohol, and other forbidden ingredients).

ID2024-0004 Indonesia palm oil production is forecast to rise marginally to 47 million metric tons (MMT) in 2024/25 on expected recovery from extreme weather in 2023. The mandatory biodiesel program continues to absorb significant domestic palm oil consumption, limiting exportable volumes. Feed industry growth pushed soybean meal use up to 5.8 MMT in 2024/25.

ID2024-0003 Post revised down Indonesia palm oil exports estimate to 27.9 million metric ton (MMT) on lower supplies, higher domestic use and expected reduced export demand for 2023/24. Palm oil use for the biodiesel industry is revised down to 12.3 MMT for 2023/24 on lower-than-expected biodiesel distribution in 2023. Soybean meal use is estimated to increase 2 percent to 5.65 MMT in 2023/24 from the previous year on improved feed millers’ performance.

ID2024-0002 Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) recently promulgated a new decree requiring imported products’ halal certificates issued by foreign halal certifying bodies be registered with BPJPH prior to the importation and distribution of the products within Indonesia. This report describes the registration process.

ID2023-0036 The United States is the second largest supplier of agricultural products to Indonesia with a 13 percent market share in 2022. Major exports include soybeans, wheat, cotton, milk powder, feeds and fodders, dairy, fresh fruit, and beef and beef products. These products also have the best growth potential due to insufficient local production to meet the growing demand for these goods. Despite an often challenging and unpredictable regulatory environment, especially for those products that compete with local goods, opportunities exist for exporters to supply Indonesia’s developed tourism market, growing food processing industry, and modern retail channels.

ID2023-0031 This report provides updated technical information for requirements and regulations on food and agricultural products as currently required by the Government of Indonesia (GOI). Sections that have been updated for this year include Food Additive Regulations; Labeling Requirements; Other Requirements, Regulations, and Registrations Measures; and Import Procedures. The appendices have also been updated and a section on Trade Facilitation has been added.

ID2023-0032 This report supplements information provided in the 2023 Indonesia FAIRS Country Report and updates the 2022 Indonesian FAIRS Export Certificate Report.

ID2023-0035 Indonesian cotton imports in 2023/24 are forecast to marginally increase by 5.9 percent to 1.8 million bales compared to 1.7 million bales in 2022/23 assuming spinners will use more inventory on hand before making new purchases. Global demand slowdowns and tight competition from cheap, illegally imported clothing in the domestic market led to lower cotton utilization which will increase 2023/24 ending stocks to 379,000 bales.

ID2023-0033 Although Indonesian dairy production is still reeling from the 2022 Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak, imports of dairy ingredients are expected to decline in 2023. Dairy importers are reporting a 10 to 20 percent drop in demand in 2023 due to a multitude of factors, including problems obtaining import recommendations and licenses, decreased consumer purchasing power, and election uncertainty. Post estimates Indonesia’s total dairy consumption in 2022 and 2023 at 4.22 and 3.7 MMT respectively. Dairy consumption in 2024 is anticipated to rebound to 4 million metric tons as post-election economic conditions are expected to stabilize.

ID2023-0028 Indonesia palm oil production for 2023/24 is revised down slightly to 45.8 million metric tons (MMT) due to lower yields from El Nino-induced dryness. Soybean consumption for 2022/23 is revised down on slower demand from the food sector. Reduced use of soybean meal in 2022/23 is driven by weak feed mill performance, mainly on higher production costs.

ID2023-0029 Economic slowdowns in Indonesia’s export destination countries negatively affected its imports and consumption of wheat. Wheat imports for 2022/23 are revised down to 9.446 million metric tons (MMT) from the previous estimate of 9.526 MMT, reflecting slower demand from both domestic and export markets. Total 2022/23 wheat consumption is estimated to decline to 9.6 MMT of wheat equivalent from 10.5 MMT the previous marketing year. As for rice, due to prolonged, El Nino-induced dryness, Indonesian 2022/23 paddy production is revised down to 53.1 MMT from the previous estimate of 53.5 MMT. Anticipating price fluctuations in 2023/24, the Government of Indonesia assigned state-owned enterprise BULOG to import another 1.5 MMT of rice to be carried out in 2024.

ID2023-0022 President Jokowi stated his support for the utilization of genetically engineered (GE) crops (i.e., soybeans) in his September 2022 speech. To date, ten GE events have been allowed for cultivation in Indonesia (i.e., one GE sugarcane, one GE potato, and eight GE corn varieties).

ID2023-0027 On September 26, 2023, U.S. Ambassador Sung Y. Kim participated in the opening of one of the largest tempeh exporting factories in the world located in Bogor, Indonesia. This new factory, belonging to Tempe Azaki, will increase the company’s current production capacity of tempeh to 50 metric tons a day. Tempe is a traditional Indonesian food staple made mostly of yellow soybeans imported from the United States. This event illustrated the importance of international trade and U.S. capacity building and the success of transforming a microenterprise into an industrial-scale, food exporter. Tempe Azaki, which has been trained by the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), utilizes almost exclusively U.S. soybeans in its manufacturing process to export its tempeh products to international markets, including the United States.

ID2023-0026 Indonesia’s lower Robusta coffee production is expected to cut coffee bean exports by 35 percent to 5 million bags in 2023/24, which has already caused a surge in imports in the first half of the marketing year. Higher Robusta prices are expected to dampen domestic consumption.

ID2023-0025 The El Nino climate pattern is expected to reduce Indonesia's 2022/23 rice and corn production. Post estimates Indonesia's 2022/23 corn production to decline to 12.3 million metric tons (MMT) compared to the previous estimate of 12.9 MMT. Production shortages are expected to result in soaring corn prices. On October 11, 2023, the National Food Agency (NFA) authorized the government-owned National Logistics Agency (BULOG) to import a total of 500,000 metric tons of feed corn to soften the impact of higher commodity prices and ensure adequate supplies for small holder poultry farmers.