Indonesia – Apple has reportedly secured local content certificates from Indonesia’s industry ministry for 20 products, including the iPhone 16. However, the company still requires approvals from other ministries before it can begin sales.
According to a recent Reuters report, ministry spokesperson Febri Hendri Antoni Arief stated that Apple has been granted local content certificates for 11 phone models and 9 tablets after meeting the necessary requirements. He added that the company still needs approvals from the communications and digital ministry, as well as the trade ministry, before it can sell its products in Indonesia.
The issuance of these certificates follows Reuters’ report last month that Apple has invested over $300m in Indonesia. Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita stated that the investment includes a software research and development centre near Jakarta and manufacturing plants for product components, including AirPods.
The minister also described the months-long negotiations with Apple as “tricky.”
“There’s a principle of justness that we’re trying to uphold. As much as it can add value to the red and white,” Agus said at a press conference, as quoted by Reuters.
Agus has not yet provided a timeline for when Apple will receive approval to sell the iPhone 16 in the country.
Apple, along with Indonesia’s communications and trade ministries, did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
This agreement is a key step for Apple and Indonesia, easing tensions after last year’s iPhone ban over local content rules. It was previously reported that Apple proposed increasing its investment tenfold to $100 million—up from $10 million—to persuade Indonesia to lift the ban.
