TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Australian government lifted its anti-dumping policy on imports of A4 copy paper from Indonesia through a decision issued on February 26, 2024.

According to Director General of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Trade Budi Santoso, the Indonesian government succeeded in convincing the Australian government that the imposition of anti-dumping policy on imported A4 copy paper products is no longer relevant based on the provisions of Article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 and the Antidumping Agreement.

"Australia's decision to revoke the antidumping measures is appropriate, considering that Australia's domestic industry is no longer able to produce [A4 copy paper]," Budi said in a written statement received by Tempo on Tuesday.

Trade Security Director of the ministry Natan Kambuno said the decision was retroactive to May 5, 2023. For this reason, business actors can apply for a refund of the antidumping measures for exports conducted after the date.

Natan urged business actors to see the revocation of antidumping measures as an opportunity to increase paper exports to Australia considering Indonesia’s product competitiveness in the country. Previously, due to the imposition of antidumping measures of 14.7 to 59.7 percent in recent years, Indonesia's A4 copy paper exports to Australia have slumped. In 2022, Natan explained, the export value of A4 copy paper to Australia only amounted to US$ 8 million, a significant drop compared to 2019’s US$ 19 million.

Natan appreciated the active collaboration between the Ministry of Trade's Directorate of Trade Security and business players and associations. He claimed that the collaboration was a key factor in Indonesia's success in thwarting the imposition of the antidumping measures.

Indonesia is one of the largest paper producers in the world. By 2022, its production reached 11.9 million tons, ranked sixth in the world. One of the A4 copy paper giants in Indonesia is Sinar Mas' Tjiwi Kimia.

DESTY LUTHFIANI

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