Counterfeit goods persist in Indonesia despite government curbs, renewed US complaints - P2
- Shidonna Raven
- 14 minutes ago
- 2 min read
By Ni Made Tasyarani
April 28, 2025
Source: Asian News Network (The Jakarta Post)
Photo / Image Source: Unsplash,
Regulatory gaps
Trade Minister Budi Santoso said on April 20 that his office would continue to monitor and crack down “strictly” on the domestic circulation of counterfeit goods.
Moga Simatupang, the ministry’s director general of consumer protection and trade order, told the Post on Monday that the distribution of counterfeit goods might fall under offenses that cannot be prosecuted without a complaint from the victim, as stipulated in Law No. 20/2016 on trademarks.
He added that the IP Task Force, which comprises several ministries and state institutions, had conducted regular surveillance of various products that infringed intellectual property rights.
“Regarding the rampant [trade in] counterfeit goods at Mangga Dua, the government will immediately take follow-up action,” Moga said.
Industry Ministry spokesperson Febri Hendri Antoni Arif emphasized that regulating imports was crucial in preventing the entry of counterfeit products, pointing to Industry Ministry Regulation No. 5/2024 that requires importers to have a trademark certificate before getting the green light from the Trade Ministry.
The regulation was “aimed at filtering and preventing counterfeit goods from being imported into the domestic market in Indonesia”, Febri said in a statement on Tuesday.
However, this regulation was short-lived and subsequently replaced by Trade Ministerial Regulation No. 8/2024, which eased imports and removed the requirement for trademark certification.
According to Febri, the ministry had deemed as ineffectual efforts to trace and crack down on counterfeit goods in local markets amid a surge in import volumes, noting that it would be difficult for brand principals and trademark owners to file formal complaints since most were based overseas.
Andry Satrio, an economist at the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF), told the Post on Monday that curbing counterfeit goods was a delicate and challenging issue.
For example, he said, if the government considered tightening import regulations, the US might view it as a form of trade barrier. This move could also restrict the flow of raw and auxiliary materials, which had led to protests last year from businesses with local operations and the government’s eventual policy reversal.
Andry also underlined that the trade in counterfeit goods involved illegal cross-border activities, so the government should strengthen the enforcement of IP rights through partnerships with other countries, such as ASEAN states.
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