Indonesia to curb farm imports from China

The Indonesian government plans to impose non-tariff barriers to curb imports of agricultural products from China.

There are concerns that the Asean China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), effective from January 1, 2010, could result in floods of cheaper Chinese products into Indonesia, causing a marketing problem for local products.

The technical barriers would include standards for sanitation and the use of pesticides based on the World Trade Organisation rules, said Hari Priyono, the head of the quarantine agency at the agriculture ministry.