Ceramic Importers Have Prepared Products In Massive Number To Flood Domestic Markets

Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Ceramic Industries (Asaki), Edy Suyanto. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Keramic Industry Association (Asaki) said ceramic tile importers had prepared a massive stock of products to flood the domestic market, this was because from August to November it was a peak season for ceramic demand in Indonesia.

Chairman of Asaki Edy Suyanto in his official statement in Jakarta, Thursday, October 10, assessed that the activity was carried out by importers to avoid the imposition of 45-50 percent Anti-Dumping Import Duty (BMAD) recommended by the Ministry of Trade.

"This is an effort to importers to avoid the imposition of BMAD which is estimated at 40 - 50 percent until the issuance of PMK BMAD, thus making the BMAD policy less effective for the next few months, because importers have prepared a massive amount of ceramic stock to flood the domestic market, which in August to November is a peak season for ceramic demand every year," he said, quoted from Antara.

He said it is undeniable that the main reason for the decline in the performance of the national ceramic industry from year to year was the entry of imported ceramic tiles from China which had been proven to have made unhealthy trades (unfair trade) in the form of dumping.

Dumping is an activity in international trade in the form of exporters/importers selling goods abroad at a lower price than domestically.

Meanwhile, anti-dumping measures are policies taken by the government in the form of imposition of anti-dumping import duties on dumping goods. Therefore, anti-dumping import duties are one of the additional import duties for imported products.

Asaki hopes that the Ministry of Finance will immediately issue related technical regulations to limit the entry of ceramic tile imported products into the country, considering that Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan in August recommended giving BMAD up to 50 percent.

Previously, the Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan said that the investigation related to ceramic imports carried out by the Indonesian Anti-Dumping Committee (KADI) had been completed and later there would be a determination of a 45-50 percent Anti-Dumping Import Duty (BMAD).

"The ceramics, we have received, it has been finished with KADI, it has been conveyed to me, I'm still learning, it's really finished. There is BMAD which is approximately 45 to 50 percent," said Zulkifli in Cikarang, Bekasi, West Java, last Tuesday, August 6.