US government tariffs on solar panel products entering the country\nhave become a challenge for Indonesia\u2019s solar panel industry, including\nin Batam.<\/p>\n
Akhmad Ma\u2019ruf Maulana, president director of PT Wiraraja Indonesia,\nsaid 26 solar panel companies in the city had been affected by the US\ntariff policy because of the high costs involved in exporting their\nproducts to the country.<\/p>\n
Ma\u2019ruf said the policy was a decision made by another country that\nbusinesses had to contend with. He was not concerned that the situation\nwould prompt investors to leave Batam, saying other investors were\narriving with larger investments.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s normal; it\u2019s a policy adopted by a country. But the fact is,\nsome are leaving. Others are coming in with even bigger investments,\u201d\nMa\u2019ruf said on Wednesday afternoon (28 October), after the signing of a\nmemorandum of understanding at the BP Batam office.<\/p>\n
Pressure on Indonesia\u2019s solar panel industry has increased after the\nUS government imposed anti-dumping and countervailing duties on\ncrystalline solar cell products from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Combined, the two duties could bring the tariff burden to around\n167.56 to 268.06 per cent, depending on the company concerned. This does\nnot include any other charges that may apply.<\/p>\n
On 14 October 2026, the US International Trade Commission (USITC)\nsaid imports of the products from Indonesia, India and Laos had injured\nthe US domestic industry.<\/p>\n
The decision cleared the way for the issuance of official\nanti-dumping and countervailing duty orders.<\/p>\n
The US government had previously scheduled the orders for early\nNovember 2026. Provisional duties had also been imposed during the\ninvestigation.<\/p>\n
The policy poses a challenge for companies that rely on the US market\nas an export destination. High tariffs could make Indonesian products\nmore expensive and reduce their competitiveness there.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Ma\u2019ruf likened Batam to sugar that attracts investors.\nHe said the departure of some companies would not necessarily diminish\nthe island\u2019s appeal as an investment destination.<\/p>\n
\u201cBatam is like a sweet bun. It has a very attractive offer. Investors\ncome on their own, so I\u2019m not worried about some leaving. Today, even\nbigger investments are coming in,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ma\u2019ruf claimed that his side was also working to attract a\nlarge-scale project amid pressure on the solar panel industry. He\nmentioned a project with a capacity of 100 gigawatts that was being\npursued, but gave no further details about its nature or stage of\ndevelopment.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday I\u2019m travelling to Jakarta to meet the Energy and Mineral\nResources Minister [Bahlil Lahadalia] and the Industry Minister, and\nreport on investments that are currently being realised,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome are looking for solutions that would allow them not to enter\nthe US market. Some are going to Europe, the Arab countries and\nelsewhere,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He also referred to the treatment of products located in the Free\nTrade Zone (FTZ). He said products outside the zone faced certain\npayment obligations, but did not specify the charges or rules\ninvolved.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Fary Djemy Francis, deputy for investment at BP Batam,\nsaid the agency was also holding discussions with the 26 solar panel\ncompanies to find a way to address the impact of the US government\u2019s\npolicy.<\/p>\n
Fary said BP Batam was seeking ways to help the companies deal with\nthe problem, but did not provide details of the proposed solutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe US government\u2019s policy is what it is. But we\u2019re exploring ways\nto address the fact that these facilities in the US have no offtakers.\nThat\u2019s one issue, and there are also changes in national transport.\nWe\u2019ll discuss it further,\u201d Fary said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/26-batam-solar-panel-companies-hit-by-us-tariffs-as-bp-batam-seeks-solutions-1793213424", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }