Jokowi Says Ready to Deal With EU's Suit on Nickel Ban

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said he has no fear in dealing with the lawsuit filed by the European Union or EU to the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding Indonesia’s nickel export ban policy. He ensured the government is ready to face it.

"We will face the suit at the WTO. Do not think that we will be nervous because of being sued," said the president while seeing off the first export of Isuzu Traga at the Isuzu Karawang Plant, Suryacipta Industrial Estate, East Karawang, Thursday, December 12.

He explained that for decades Indonesia relied only on exports of raw goods, while the country is able to process it into semi-finished or finished products in order to obtain added value.

According to him, should the downstreaming and industrialization programs in Indonesia runs smoothly, it will open huge employment opportunities.

Therefore, the former Jakarta governor called on industry players not to be afraid of the claims filed by other countries. "For the sake of our national interests, whatever is protested by other countries, we will face it," he remarked.

Jokowi said he delegated best advocates to win the lawsuit at the WTO. According to him, Indonesia had often lost because of lacking seriousness in combating the suit.

Previous reports suggested that the European Union planned to challenge three Indonesia’s policies that they deemed violated General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which among them is the limitation of export in mineral products such as nickel, iron ore, and chromium used by the EU’s stainless steel industry. 

AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI