Indonesia bans import of 12 products, impacting some Thai exports
Indonesia's new Ministry of Trade regulation bans the import of 12 products, effective January 1, 2026, potentially impacting key Thai exports, including sugar and rice.
The Indonesian Ministry of Trade has issued a new regulation banning the import of 12 specific products, a move that impacts key Thai exports to Indonesia, according to the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP).
Citing a report from the Office of Commercial Affairs in Jakarta, Indonesia, Ministerial Regulation No. 47/2025 on prohibited imports was announced on December 29, 2025, and came into effect on January 1, 2026. The policy's primary goal is to protect local farmers and industries.
The import ban affects 12 product categories, potentially impacting Thailand’s exports to Indonesia, particularly key exports such as sugar, rice, and products within the air conditioning and refrigeration sectors.
The office in Jakarta has tracked and gathered information from relevant sectors, revealing that sugar, classified under HS Code 1701, which includes raw and certain types of refined sugar, is subject to the import ban. This change affects Thailand as a major exporter of raw sugar to Indonesia.
In 2025 (January-November), Thailand exported US$725 million worth of sugar to Indonesia. However, Indonesia still needs to import sugar due to insufficient domestic production. There is a possibility that the Indonesian government may consider allowing some sugar imports based on the quantities approved for import in the previous year.
Sugar imports can still proceed under Ministerial Regulation No. 31/2025, which remains in effect. Even though sugar is on the banned import list, an Import Approval (PI) can still be requested, allowing it to be imported for processing. The new regulation does not revoke or amend the previous regulation No. 31/2025.
Regarding rice, Indonesia’s Ministry of Trade has imposed import restrictions on various types of rice under HS Code 1006, including sticky rice, jasmine rice, and basmati rice. Importation will not be granted solely based on the rice type but will depend on the intended use and the importer’s status.
As of 2025, Indonesia holds a rice stock of approximately 3.5 million tons, sufficient for domestic consumption. Consequently, the government is likely to continue limiting or not permitting rice imports for direct consumption, following the policies of previous years.
Rice imports for consumption will only be permitted through state-owned enterprises like Bulog, Sarinah, and RNI, and only in special cases to maintain market stability or national food security.
Under Regulation No. 31/2025, Indonesia still allows rice imports for industrial purposes by companies with Importer Producer (IP) status, but these imports must be approved beforehand.
Rice imported under this program must be used as raw material for production or industrial processing and cannot be sold directly to consumers. The new regulation does not affect or amend Regulation No. 31/2025.
Therefore, the import system defined in Regulation No. 31/2025 remains in effect, clearly distinguishing between rice imports for direct consumption, which are limited to state-owned enterprises, and rice imports for industrial use, which can be conducted by authorized Importer Producers.
Regarding air conditioning and refrigeration products, the new regulation prohibits the import of products containing banned refrigerants, such as CFC, HCFC-22, and HCFC-123. According to the Thai Refrigeration Association, these substances are already banned from production and sale in Thailand, so this is unlikely to significantly impact Thai exporters.
Other banned imports include used bags, used sacks, second-hand clothing, hazardous substances, certain pharmaceutical and food raw materials, mercury-containing medical equipment, and traditional agricultural tools.
These measures aim to protect the environment, public health, and domestic industries, and in practice, Thailand does not export these items or target them for export.
Overall, the new measures primarily affect specific Thai exports, especially sugar, while other products face limited impact. The Office of Commercial Affairs in Jakarta reports that the effect on Thai businesses is relatively minor for most products, with sugar being the main concern.
