Government Issues New Regulations to Reduce Export Barriers and Licensing

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesian Ministry of Trade has issued two new regulations to accelerate deregulation and improving the business enviroment in the export sector: Minister of Trade Regulation Number 5 of 2026 concerning the Fourth Amendment to Permendag Number 23 of 2023 on Export Policies and Arrangements, and Permendag Number 6 of 2026 concerning the Fourth Amendment to Permendag Number 22 of 2023 on Goods Prohibited for Export.

Minister of Trade, Budi Santoso, stated that the issuance of these two regulations is part of an effort to simplify the export process while enhancing the competitiveness of businesses amid shifting global trade dynamics. "The government is undertaking deregulation and simplification of export licensing to improve the ease of doing business and the investment climate. These two regulations ease export restrictions by removing several obligations and penalties, as well as reducing documents related to prohibitions and restrictions (lartas)," he said in an official statement on Tuesday, 7 April 2026.

Previously, the Director General of Foreign Trade, Tommy Andana, added that these improvements to export policies are designed to meet the needs of businesses seeking a faster and more efficient export process. "This revision aims to simplify regulations and align policies with global trade dynamics and business needs," he said.

Several forms of export policy relaxation in the two regulations include:

• Simplification of export instruments for industrial tin products, requiring only an Export Approval (PE) and a Surveyor Report (LS), without the need for a Registered Exporter (ET).
• Simplification of provisions in the oil and gas sector to only require PE and LS, except for natural gas exports via pipelines, which still require ET.
• Removal of the requirement for a cooperation agreement when applying for ET, as well as the obligation to execute exports at least once every two years for coal exports.
• Removal of technical specification requirements for soldering tin to simplify the process and improve efficiency.

The government is also promoting digitalization and automation of export licensing services through the modernization of an integrated system across ministries and institutions. These steps include the electronic and automatic issuance of PE for certain commodities such as rice and fishery products.

The export licensing system has been integrated with the Indonesia National Single Window (SINSW) to accelerate real-time technical data verification. "These new regulations also include legal harmonization through nomenclature adjustments and the transfer of authority for issuing export licensing documents between agencies. This step is expected to reduce policy overlaps and increase legal certainty for exporters," Tommy said.

Other adjustments include the transfer of authority for issuing transport documents for Aquatic Natural Plant and Wildlife (TASL) from the Ministry of Forestry to the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, in accordance with Law Number 32 of 2024. Additionally, the government stipulates that PE for ilmenite and rutile concentrates can only be submitted by holders of Mining Business Licenses (IUP) and Special Mining Business Licenses (IUPK) for Production Operations, without needing an Industrial Business License (IUI).

For swiftlet bird's nests, the nomenclature of the Sanitary Certificate has been changed from code KH-12 to KH-2, in accordance with the provisions of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency. For kratom commodities, the validity period of ET is set to three years, changing from the previous lifetime validity.

Moreover, Tommy added that the drafting of these regulations involved cross-ministerial and institutional coordination and incorporated input from business associations. "We hope that exporters will continue to maintain the performance of the trade balance and act as stabilizers of the Indonesian economy," he said.