Attack of Import Steel, Ministry of Industry Prepare Safeguard

INDUSTRY.co.id - Jakarta, United States President Donald Trump's policies related to 25 percent import duty tariffs led many countries to suspect China as the largest steel exporter will divert its products to other markets such as Indonesia.

The Minister of Industry, Airlangga Hartarto, said the US protectionist policy will affect the domestic iron and steel market.

"The impact is of course the usual products entering the US will look for new markets, one of them from China, which sees Indonesia as a new market. Indonesia itself must prepare, one of them (via) safeguard," said Airlangga at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Jakarta (7/3 / 2018).

When asked about the safeguards readiness, he said, the Ministry of Industry has coordinated with the Ministry of Trade to conduct monitoring of steel imports.

"This is done so that the domestic industry is not disturbed in the future," he explained.

As is known, Indonesia itself has been known as a country importing steel in large enough quantities. Airlangga asserted, do not let the import activity is done outside the boundary so deadly national industry or dumping. Therefore, anti-dumping policy measures such as safeguards are important.

He also mentioned, Indonesia will not follow the footsteps of Uncle Sam's country that raise the tariff of steel entry into the country, because it is bound to free trade contract (free trade) with other countries.

"We have signed various free trade agreements, such as with Japan IDPA, China IFPA, so the mechanism stay safeguard," said Minister of Industry.

Furthermore, he said, now the government is still waiting for the implementation of the policy, while preparing various possibilities in the face of "trade war" is.

Earlier, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati warned of the potential for a trade war if the US government imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

Currently, he said the whole world is waiting for the certainty of the plan which also has the potential to make countries that have trade relations with each other in return from the tariff.

"We'll see first, the dynamics of the policy is being debated between President Trump with the congress and the senate," he said.