REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, TANGERANG SELATAN -- Although it has no bilateral relations, Indonesia is noted for regularly importing goods products from Israel every year. That was revealed from import-export data recorded by the Central Statistical Agency (BPS) every month.
When asked by Republika, Deputy Minister of Trade, Jerry Sambuaga, did not shy away from the issue of regular imports from Israel. However, he said it is necessary to check first to know more details about the trade of the two countries, which do not have bilateral relations.
“Try to check it out later. We'll check it out later, yes,” Jerry said after opening the Trade Expo Indonesia 2023 at ICE BSD City, South Tangerang, Wednesday (12/10/2023).
Still in the same place, Director General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Budi Santoso added, it is possible that imports from Israel could enter because through third parties or through other countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Budi continued, cannot further control imported goods that enter through third parties. “If it goes through another country, it comes from that country,” Budi said.
As for imported products from Palestine, he added, no special treatment was given either. Indonesia equalizes the treatment of imported products from all countries as long as the imported goods are not problematic.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has been heating up again since Saturday (7/10/20239). Since the situation occurred, there have been renewed calls for a boycott of Israeli products.
The Central Statistical Agency (BPS) has actually recorded the presence of imported products from Israel that enter Indonesia. “If we do not have diplomatic relations, it does not mean that economically we should not have trade relations. It can still be done because this is a business to business nature,” said Acting Head of BPS Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, earlier this week.
He explained that the main commodities of imported goods from Israel were mechanical equipment machines and their parts. So is the case with non-precious metal tools and appliances, as well as electrical equipment machines and their parts.
“Total Israeli imports during January to September 2023 were 14.4 million US dollars,” Amalia said. Meanwhile, the value of Israeli imports to Indonesia in 2020 was recorded at 56.5 million US dollars. Then in 2021 the import value reached 26.5 million US dollars and in 2022 it reached 47.8 million US dollars.
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