Krakatau Steel worried about import fallout from new US policy

EMITEN - JAKARTA. Steel manufacturer PT Krakatau Steel has expressed its concerns over the United States' new steel and aluminum import policy, saying that the Indonesian market may be flooded by an influx of steel products from other countries.

Krakatau Steel president director Purwono Widodo said on Sunday in Jakarta that although the company did not export its steel products to the US, the new 25 percent import tax on steel products would cause a domino effect in the world market.

He said he was concerned about the entry of Chinese steel products into the Indonesian market, particularly if the products were prevented from entering the US market, according to the kontan.co.id report.

“There is a possibility that China would shift its steel exports to Southeast Asian countries, Including Indonesia,” Purwono said.

He added that export tax-free Chinese steel might flood the Indonesian steel market to create unfair competition with local steel products.

He expressed the hope that the government would introduce measures to protect the local steel industry, such as through regulations on the use of local products or local content requirements for steel products.

“There could also be a requirement to use local products that are produced in Indonesia,” Purwono added.