Finance Minister Reviews Additional Tax on Chinese Products in E-Commerce

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has opened the possibility of implementing additional taxes on products originating from China on e-commerce platforms. This step is being reviewed following complaints from domestic business actors.

Purbaya assesses that cheap imported goods are pressuring local businesses. This situation is evident in the competition between online and offline trade.

“There is also an interesting input. We already suspected it, but this is further confirmation, that offline trade is disrupted by online trade. I thought online was mostly Indonesians. Apparently, much of it is controlled by non-Indonesians,” said Purbaya at the Ministry of Finance office on Wednesday (25/3/2026).

This issue gained strength after Purbaya interacted through a TikTok broadcast. Many users reported the dominance of foreign entities in the digital ecosystem.

Purbaya views online transactions as growing rapidly. High transaction volumes occur in a short time.

“In just 15 minutes, it can reach 50 thousand transactions. That shows the technology is extraordinary,” said Purbaya.

This growth is accompanied by pressure on conventional trade. Business actors in various regions have conveyed the impacts they feel.

The government has previously paid attention to this shift. Recent findings strengthen indications of impacts on the offline sector.

The government is evaluating policies that were previously delayed. Options for imposing instruments on digital trade are being reviewed.

The review also covers the price competitiveness of local and imported products. Products from China are said to have a price advantage.