JAKARTA, Oct 27 — Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry has announced that iPhone 16 units may be brought into the country for personal use by travellers, flight crews, or through courier services.
The popular smartphone by Apple is currently prohibited from sale in Indonesia due to issues with local component requirements.
“iPhone 16 units brought by passengers, subject to taxes, are personal belongings and cannot be sold,” said the ministry’s spokesman, Febri Hendri Antoni Arif, in a statement to The Jakarta Globe yesterday.
The ministry estimates that approximately 9,000 iPhone 16 units have entered Indonesia between August and October 2024 via personal baggage, with the necessary taxes paid.
While these phones are legally in the country, they would be considered illegal if sold.
According to The Jakarta Globe, Febri also said that as a postal and telecommunications product, the iPhone 16 is permitted entry through the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, which allows each passenger to bring in a maximum of two units.
Personal items sent through postal services for non-commercial use are exempt from local technical standards, including the 35 percent local content (TKDN) requirement.
The registration of the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) for these items is managed by the Directorate General of Customs and Excise.
Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita previously indicated that iPhone 16 units imported by registered importers remain unsellable in Indonesia until Apple meets its investment commitments to obtain the necessary TKDN certification through an innovation scheme.
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