Indonesia’s iPhone ban is an example of the pressure Prabowo Subianto’s government is putting on multinationals to boost local manufacturing
Apple Inc. has proposed investing almost US$10 million to make additional goods in Indonesia, according to secret sources, as it seeks to have the country’s ban on sales of its latest iPhone removed.
The plan would involve Apple investing in a factory in Bandung, southeast of Jakarta, in partnership with its list of suppliers, the source said, asking not to be identified because they’re not authorized to speak publicly. The facility would make products such as accessories and components for Apple gadgets, the people said.
Apple has submitted its proposal to the nation’s Ministry of Industry, which last month blocked a permit allowing the sale of the iPhone 16 on the grounds that the US tech giant’s local unit has not met a 40 per cent domestic content requirement for smartphones and tablets.
The ministry is deliberating on the proposal, which isn’t final and may be subject to change, and is expected to reach a decision shortly,sources say.
Apple and The Ministry of Industry also didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Indonesia’s iPhone 16 ban is the latest example of the pressure new President Prabowo Subianto’s government is putting on international companies to boost local manufacturing as it seeks to protect domestic industries. The Southeast Asian nation has also banned the sale of Alphabet Inc.’s Google Pixel phones because of a similar lack of investment.
The moves are a continuation of similar tactics used under former President Joko Widodo’s administration. Last year, Indonesia blocked China’s ByteDance Ltd. in a bid to shield its retail sector from cheap Chinese-made goods, prompting the hugely popular video service to ultimately invest US$1.5 billion in a joint venture with Tokopedia, the e-commerce arm of Indonesia’s GoTo Group.
Apple doesn’t have any stand-alone factories in Indonesia and like most multinationals, partners with locally based suppliers to make components or finished goods. An investment of close to US$10 million would be a relatively small price for Apple to pay for freer access to Indonesia’s some 278 million consumers – more than half of them under the age of 44 and tech savvy.
While Indonesia may view Apple’s additional investment – should it transpire – as a win, its strong-arm approach risks deterring other companies from scaling up their presence or establishing a footprint in the first place, particularly firms that are looking to pivot away from China. It may also jeopardize Prabowo’s aim of attracting overseas investments to grow the economy and fund policy spending.
According to the Indonesian government, Apple has only invested 1.5 trillion rupiah (US$96.2 million) in the nation via developer academies, falling short of its commitment of 1.7 trillion rupiah. Officials have also requested that e-commerce players Tokopedia and TikTok take down iPhone 16 sellers on their platforms, or risk legal action.
Indonesia has exhibited haphazard trade policies before.
Earlier this year, the government imposed import curbs on thousands of products – from MacBooks to tyres to chemicals – to force foreign companies to scale up manufacturing. But the move ignited a furore among the business community, including players with a long-established manufacturing presence in the country such as LG Electronics Inc., which complained it couldn’t import certain components to make washing machines and televisions.
Despite Indonesia’s repeated calls for international companies to boost manufacturing, its local industry is languishing. Manufacturing as a proportion of gross domestic product slipped to 18.7 per cent last year from 21.1 per cent in 2014.
South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com)
