Indonesia eases import rules for electronics, footwear, textiles

JAKARTA (Reuters) -- Indonesia has relaxed import rules for electronic products, footwear and textiles, its chief economic minister said on Friday, in an attempt to quickly process imported items that have piled up in ports.

Jakarta in March tightened import rules impacting more than 3,000 goods, aiming to protect domestic industries from an influx of products, including by requiring importers to obtain a permit and a recommendation.

In April, further regulations to restrict imports of electronic goods including air conditioners, refrigerators and laptops were announced.

Since then, more than 26,000 containers have been stuck at the country's two biggest seaports due to bureaucratic hurdles, the government said.

They contain a range of goods including steel, clothes, electronics and chemical products.

The government has decided to revert to previous rules to clear the backlog of containers at the ports, effective immediately, Airlangga Hartarto, chief economic minister, said in a press conference.

Steel imports will still require a permit and a recommendation, but the government promised to expedite the process, Airlangga added.

The regulation detailing the relaxation is not yet publicly available.

The government in April had already removed restrictions for a number of items used as raw materials by industries after complaints by the Indonesian chamber of commerce and industry.