Agricultural Products into & out of Indonesia: four permit layers and the 17 Oct 2026 halal deadline
1. Two directions, two completely different problem sets
| Dimension | China to Indonesia (import into ID) | Indonesia to China (export to CN) |
|---|---|---|
| Logic | Split by ministry: quarantine (Barantin), agriculture (RIPH / seed permits), trade (PI/LS), food-drug & religious affairs (BPOM / BPJPH) | Eligibility first: confirm the product is on an approved China-bound list, then check whether the overseas facility is registered |
| First gate | HS classification and border control codes (Lartas) | GACC food eligibility catalogue / quarantine admission announcements |
| Company status | Indonesian importer needs NIB + API (API-U / API-P); farm goods often need IT (registered importer) status | Overseas producer registration (Decree 280 / Announcement 219) + domestic consignee filing |
| Documents | Phytosanitary certificate, RIPH, PI/LS, BPOM import clearance (SKI), halal certificate (where applicable) | Official phytosanitary / health certificate, certificate of origin (Form E / Form R), quarantine permit |
| Taxes | BM / PPN / PPh 22; ACFTA concessions via Form E | MFN or preferential rate (ACFTA / RCEP) on presentation of the origin certificate |
Both sides must be re-checked per shipment against the regulations and concession schedules in force.
2. Importing into Indonesia: how the four layers stack
| # | Authority | Permit / action | Trigger and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barantin (Indonesian Quarantine Agency) | Phytosanitary / veterinary certificate; mandatory-inspection goods verified at clearance | All animal- and plant-origin goods. Current rules: Barantin 1/2024 (as amended by 5/2025) and 2/2025. Customs code typically 940. |
| 2 | Ministry of Agriculture (Horticulture DG) | RIPH (horticultural import recommendation) | Fruit, vegetables, medicinal plants, floriculture, mushrooms. RIPH is not the import licence — it is the prerequisite for the Trade Ministry's import approval. Issued twice a year (Jan–Jun / Jul–Dec). |
| 3 | Ministry of Trade | PI (959) + LS (958) | Horticultural products. INSW shows the basis as Permendag 16/2025 as amended by Permendag 18/2026, plus 18/2025 as amended by 11/2026. |
| 4 | BPOM / BPJPH / SNI | BPOM import clearance (SKI), halal certificate, SNI | Processed food and drink, supplements, cosmetics. Halal becomes mandatory for imported F&B on 17 Oct 2026. |
A low duty does not mean a low barrier: the three seed codes below carry 0% duty yet still need quarantine and an agriculture permit.
3. Verified samples: six codes, four different outcomes
| Product | HS (BTKI) | Duty | VAT | PPh 22 (API / non-API) | Border control | FTA line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apples, fresh | 0808.10.00 | 5% | 0% | 2.5% / 7.5% | 940 quarantine + 958 LS + 959 PI | ACFTA 2023 = 0% |
| Garlic, for consumption | 0703.20.90 | 5% | 0% | 2.5% / 7.5% | PI + LS | verify against current schedule |
| Garlic seed | 0703.20.10 | 0% | 0% | 2.5% / 7.5% | MA seed import permit + quarantine | verify per shipment |
| Onion seeds | 1209.91.10 | 0% | 0% | 2.5% / 7.5% | 940 plant quarantine | ACFTA 2023 = 0% |
| Flower seeds | 1209.30.00 | 0% | 0% | 2.5% / 7.5% | 940 plant quarantine | ACFTA 2023 = 0% |
| Lucerne (alfalfa) seeds | 1209.21.00 | 0% | 0% | 2.5% / 7.5% | 940 plant quarantine | ACFTA 2023 = 0% |
Apples 0808.10.00 recorded verbatim from INSW on 2026-10-03; garlic and the three seed codes come from earlier checks in this series. ACFTA lines show the year stated on the INSW page and must be re-checked against the schedule in force.
🔴 17 October 2026: mandatory halal for imported food and drink
Under Law 33/2014 on Halal Product Assurance and its implementing regulation GR 39/2021, halal certification is being phased in; after an extension the deadline for imported food and beverage falls on 17 October 2026 (together with traditional medicines and supplements, cosmetics, chemical products, clothing, household appliances and Class A medical devices). Market supervision begins the following day.
- The Indonesian importer of record carries the responsibility: even with a foreign halal certificate, the importer must confirm the issuing body is recognised by BPJPH and register the certificate on SIHALAL.
- New label: the old green MUI mark must be replaced by BPJPH's purple Halal Indonesia mark before 17 Oct 2026.
- Limited exemptions: inherently haram goods (pork, alcoholic drinks) are exempt from certification but must be labelled non-halal; primary agricultural products on the Halal Positive List may be exempt — but processed or seasoned seafood, sweetened dried fruit and waxed fruit all require formal certification.
- Halal is extending into logistics: BPJPH has notified a draft decree on halal assurance for storage, packaging and distribution to the WTO (G/TBT/N/IDN/183, 17 Nov 2025).
Whether a specific HS code falls inside the mandatory list is determined by BPJPH's current HS code list and official announcements.
4. Exporting to China: eligibility, registration, then tariff
| # | Item | Basis and operation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Import eligibility | Check GACC's catalogue of countries/regions approved to ship food to China and the relevant quarantine admission announcements. Example: Indonesian bird's nest is admitted only as "processed nest products", not raw uncleaned nest; green coffee is regulated as an agricultural product with an approved-origin list. |
| 2 | Overseas facility registration | GACC Decree No. 280 (in force 1 Jun 2026) sets 17 categories requiring official recommendation. Primary edible agricultural products (oilseeds, fresh vegetables, dried pulses, unroasted coffee and cocoa) were moved out of that catalogue and are now governed by GACC Announcement No. 219 of 2025 (in force 15 Dec 2025). |
| 3 | Quarantine permit & declaration | Where required (e.g. raw cocoa beans), obtain the entry animal/plant quarantine permit in advance; on declaration, enter the overseas facility's Chinese registration number under the "product qualification" field (licence category code 302), item by item. |
| 4 | Tariff | Preferential rates via Form E (ACFTA) or Form R (RCEP); the actual rate follows the tariff and concession schedule in force. |
Registered facilities under Announcement 219 can be verified through GACC's registration list or the "Internet + Customs" query function.
Table garlic (0703.20.90): BM 5% plus the PI and LS permits — the clearest case among agriproducts
Indonesia splits garlic into two eight-digit subheadings: seed garlic 0703.20.10 (bulbs for propagation) belongs on the seed track under the Ministry of Agriculture, while table garlic 0703.20.90 (Other) belongs on the agriproduct track under the Ministry of Trade. This section covers the table-garlic line only — and it is the textbook example of “the permit is harder than the duty”.
| Item | Table garlic 0703.20.90 reading |
|---|---|
| BM import duty (MFN) | 5% — seed garlic is 0%, a five-point gap |
| PPN VAT (verified) | 0% (agriproduct treatment, still subject to the rules in force) |
| PPh 22 · with API / without | 2.5% / 7.5% — a threefold gap on importer status |
| Border control (needed at clearance) | 940 plant quarantine + 958 LS Impor Bawang Putih + 959 PI Bawang Putih |
| Post-border control | 958 LS + 959 PI — the controls run in both stages |
| Competent ministry | Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) |
| Legal basis | Permendag 16/2025 jo. 18/2026; Permendag 18/2025 jo. 11/2026 |
| Indonesian legal unit | Metric ton (1000 kg, code TNE) |
| ACFTA / FORM E | INSW shows 0%, but that is a historical year value — recheck against the concession schedule in force |
Readings taken from INSW on 2026-10-01. If the shipment is in fact for planting, go to seed guide · garlic seed (0703.20.10, BM 0%, Ministry of Agriculture permit track); the full subheading comparison is on the garlic guide; and onions and shallots (0703.10), also in the Allium family, carry a separate 5% / 20% duty split.
5. Key questions
What duty applies to agricultural imports into Indonesia?
It cannot be applied by chapter. Across the six codes checked here, duty runs from 0% (three seed codes, garlic seed) to 5% (apples, consumption garlic); VAT is 0% throughout and PPh 22 is 2.5% with an API licence, 7.5% without. Verify each 8-digit BTKI code on INSW.
Why do apples carry three border controls (940 + 958 + 959)?
Because they sit inside three regimes at once: 940 plant quarantine (Barantin), 958 pre-shipment inspection for horticultural products (LS) and 959 horticultural import approval (PI). Fresh horticulture is the thickest layer in the category.
Is RIPH an import licence?
No. RIPH is an import recommendation issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and a prerequisite for the Trade Ministry's import approval. Issuance weighs domestic output and harvest windows, and it is released twice a year (Jan–Jun, Jul–Dec).
When is halal certification mandatory for imported food and drink?
Under the phased schedule in Law 33/2014 and GR 39/2021, imported food and beverage reaches its mandatory date on 17 October 2026, with market supervision from the next day. Certification runs through BPJPH or a recognised foreign body and must be registered on SIHALAL by the Indonesian importer.
Do primary agricultural products escape halal certification?
Only if they fall on the Halal Positive List: natural, additive-free primary produce with no cross-contamination risk can be exempt. Processed or seasoned products — flavoured seafood, sweetened dried fruit, waxed fruit — all need formal certification.
How does an Indonesian facility register to ship farm goods to China?
Two tracks: processed foods follow GACC Decree No. 280 (17 recommended-registration categories, in force 1 Jun 2026); primary agricultural products follow GACC Announcement No. 219 of 2025 (in force 15 Dec 2025). On declaration, fill the facility's Chinese registration number in the product-qualification field (code 302).
Does Form E mean zero duty?
Form E is the evidence that unlocks a preferential rate, not an exemption. INSW shows the value for a stated year (e.g. apples: ACFTA 2023 line 0%); the applicable rate must be re-checked against the schedule in force.
Readings and regulatory statements as at 2026-10-03; always confirm against the authorities' current announcements.
6. Official sources (traceable)
| Regulations / official portals | Status in force | Key points cited on this page | Official text (clickable) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law 33/2014, Halal Product Assurance | 🟢 In force | Parent law for halal; establishes BPJPH | Australian Government DFAT |
| GR 39/2021 (halal implementing regulation) | 🟢 In force | Phased schedule; imported F&B extended to 17 Oct 2026 | BPK official library |
| PP 42/2024 (issued 18 Oct 2024) | 🟢 In force · the extension | Moved imported F&B and domestic UMK from 17 Oct 2024 to 17 Oct 2026; enforcement from 18 Oct; certificates now valid indefinitely | BPK searchDFAT (states delayed) |
| BPJPH / SIHALAL | 🟢 Official portal | Certificate filing and recognised foreign bodies | halal.go.id |
| Barantin Regulation 1/2024 (as amended by 5/2025) | 🟢 In force | Mandatory quarantine goods; basis for border checks | 1/2024 detail5/2025 detail |
| Barantin Regulation 2/2025 | 🟢 In force | Regulated quarantine pests | BPK search |
| Ministry of Agriculture Reg. 5/2022 (RIPH oversight) | 🟢 In force since 2022-05-18 | RIPH issuance and border verification mechanism | FAOLEX record |
| Ministry of Agriculture RIPH regulation (JDIH PDF) | 🟢 Official text | Four RIPH types, document list, 7-working-day review | MoA JDIH PDF |
| Permendag 16/2025 as amended by 18/2026 | 🟢 Current (cited by INSW) | Basis for horticultural PI (959) / LS (958) | BPK search |
| GACC Decree No. 280 | 🟢 In force 2026-06-01 | Overseas food producer registration; 17 categories | GACC official site |
| GACC Announcement No. 219 of 2025 | 🟢 In force 2025-12-15 | Declaration management for overseas enterprises of imported agricultural products; code 302 | Catalogue |
| GACC food eligibility catalogue | 🟢 Updated dynamically | Check whether a country/product may be shipped to China | Eligibility query |
| INSW tariff & control lookup | 🟢 Official entry | Source of the duty and Lartas readings on this page | insw.go.id/intr |
Links point to official libraries, catalogues or portals; confirm the current record before filing.
Related pages
Indonesia halal certification for imports: 17 Oct 2026 deadline & SHLN Garlic into Indonesia: seed vs table garlic — duty, controls and licencesSeeds into Indonesia: 0% duty, the permit is the gateVerified HS code directoryRestricted goods & LartasImport licence requirements in IndonesiaForm E & ACFTA preferential dutyFood import: BPOM & halal requirementsWith farm products, duty is the easy part. Send us the HS code, processing state, end use and arrival window, and we will list every layer this shipment must clear — quarantine, RIPH, PI/LS, BPOM, halal, and China-side registration — with the ones that will cost you time marked.
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