Indonesia presses on after mixed WTO ruling on EU fatty acid duties

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Trade Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to advocating national interests following Indonesia’s partial success in a dispute over the European Union’s anti-dumping import duties on fatty acids, which were challenged before the World Trade Organization.

According to a statement cited in Jakarta on Wednesday, a WTO panel rejected several complaints lodged by the Indonesian government while upholding certain technical claims. Indonesia launched the dispute to highlight inconsistencies between EU regulations and the WTO Anti-Dumping Agreement.

“Even though the WTO panel upheld only parts of our claims, the Indonesian government’s priority remains to press ahead by pursuing various strategic alternative measures, including trade diplomacy,” Trade Minister Budi Santoso affirmed.

He stressed that the dispute settlement report, circulated on July 8, would not deter the government from tackling trade barriers affecting Indonesian fatty acid exports to EU countries.

The minister pointed to a diplomatic gain from the challenge, noting that the WTO panel upheld Indonesia’s argument that the EU had failed to apply a consistent methodology in determining dumping margins.

Santoso described the finding as a crucial step toward fair and rules-based trade, though the final report largely favored the EU. As a result, Indonesia has not succeeded in overturning the anti-dumping measures it considers inconsistent.

He hailed the synergy between the government and cross-sector stakeholders in challenging the import duties and pledged appropriate follow-up measures.

“The legal and trade advocacy measures undertaken so far are driven by solid cooperation between the ministry, the private sector, associations, and international law experts in Indonesia,” the minister remarked.

He assured the public of efforts to “mitigate the impact of the ruling” and ensure global market access for valuable Indonesian commodities.

“We will conduct thorough internal consolidation involving all stakeholders in the national fatty acid industry. The Indonesian government is fully committed to assisting businesses in determining market adjustment steps to restore and maintain export performance in European markets,” he said.

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Translator: Maria C, Tegar Nurfitra

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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