China's Customs Authority to Visit Indonesia, Will It Immediately Inspect 19 Companies?

The Head of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin), Abdul Kadir Karding, is optimistic that the prospects for Indonesia’s export-import trade with China will become increasingly open. This confidence comes ahead of the planned visit of China’s customs authority, the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC), to Indonesia in mid-July 2026. Karding stated that the GACC visit will discuss various export opportunities for Indonesian commodities to the Chinese market, ranging from the plant to the fishery sectors. However, one of the important agendas in the meeting is the resolution of the aluminium content issue in bird’s nests, which had triggered a temporary suspension of exports from several Indonesian companies. “Barantin is actively taking corrective steps, from strengthening communication with China to improving regulations,” Karding said in his statement, quoted on Thursday (2/7/2026). He emphasised that the aluminium content issue in bird’s nests currently being handled is only temporary and has now entered the final stage of resolution. According to him, the presence of the GACC could actually be a momentum to expand Indonesia’s export access to the Bamboo Curtain country. “The arrival of the GACC to Indonesia will actually further open up exports to China,” he said. Previously, the issue of aluminium content in bird’s nests caused 19 Indonesian exporter companies to be subject to suspension or temporary freezing of their licences to China. Barantin data shows that there are currently 75 bird’s nest companies registered with Barantin. Of that number, 50 companies have been registered with the China Import Food Enterprises Registration (CIFER), while 25 other companies are still in the registration process. In addition, as of June 2026, there were 4,204 registered swiftlet houses, with 104 other swiftlet houses still in the registration process. In terms of export performance, the plant sector remains the largest contributor. Palm oil and its derivatives recorded an export value of more than Rp32.03 trillion. After that, coffee bean exports reached Rp6.9 trillion, and areca nut seeds amounted to Rp2.9 trillion. Meanwhile, from the animal sector, bird’s nests are one of the mainstay commodities with an economic value reaching Rp3.6 trillion. Barantin’s Expert Staff for Communication, Moksa Hutasoit, said that his party continues to open communication channels with business actors to maximise exports and imports to partner countries. According to him, input from business actors is needed so that governance issues and obstacles in the field can be directly addressed. “The purpose of the Head of the Quarantine Agency opening communication channels is indeed to absorb direct input from business actors so that governance can be improved, which can boost the country’s economy,” said Moksa.