Invaded By Imports From Vietnam-China, Industry Asks Government To Form A Steel Special Protection Task Force

JAKARTA - The Association of Construction Steel Industries or the Indonesian Society of Steel Construction (ISSC) has asked the government to protect the national construction steel industry from the invasion of imports of Vietnam to China. The absence of specific protection against the steel sector is a gap that weakens national industrial competitiveness.

Chairman of the Indonesian Construction Steel Society or the Indonesian Society of Steel Construction (ISSC), Budi Harta Winata, assessed that the swift flow of construction steel imports from Vietnam and China to Indonesia would kill domestic industries.

Budi said the type of construction steel that entered Indonesia from Vietnam and China was ready-to-mount steel. According to him, this type of construction steel has damaged the supply chain in the country.

"(What is imported from Vietnam and China) is ready-to-mount steel. Well, when it enters Indonesia, (local business actors in) the supply chain will not get jobs from all of that," Budi said at a press conference, in Jakarta, Thursday, July 24.

According to Budi, if this condition continues to be ignored by the government, it is feared that business actors and thousands of workers in the national construction steel industry ecosystem will be affected.

That's why we at the ISSC are worried, because now we are all in a work crisis. Because many steel construction products go directly into the country," he said.

On the other hand, Budi said that national construction steel industry players must face strict production requirements, one of which is the Indonesian National Standard (SNI). Meanwhile, imported products from Vietnam to China can enter without a hitch.

They are cheaper, the design is thinner, smaller, and not SNI. It shouldn't be allowed. We also question how could that be?," said Budi.

It Is Necessary To Form A Construction Steel Protection Task Force

Budi said the ISSC agreed to urge the government to protect the domestic construction steel industry. The desired protection is to stop imports of construction steel products in Indonesia.

"Whatever can be produced domestically shouldn't be allowed to enter either, because it will interfere with the domestic supply chain," said Budi.

Budi asked the government to provide equal treatment for products that must be imported, including on conditions such as SNI.

"Regulation affects that too. And protection from the government is the most important thing," said Budi.

Similarly, Chairman of the ISSC Cooperation & Public Relations Division Mochamad Yunus said that although the government has formed a cross-sector Illegal Import Task Force, the current policy is still too general and has not yet touched the construction steel industry.

Therefore, Yunus said there needs to be a special task force that provides direct protection for domestic steel construction industry players.

"This is a weakness from the first, from regime to regime, weak coordination between institutions. The illegal import task force already exists, but the special protection task force for the steel construction industry has not existed until now," he said.