Without revealing the final clauses of the negotiations, the Indonesian government agreed to lift the ban on Apple from April 11, 2025. The country’s local content quota banned the tech giant’s products. On March 7, the Southeast Asian country agreed to end the ban on Apple. However, it required the company to apply for specific certificates from the country’s trade, communications, and digital ministries. Since the company has received the certificates, it will resume selling the iPhone 16 range in Indonesia.
According to a news article by The Diplomat in February,
“Apple has no immediate plans to start making iPhones in the country.” However, Apple will be “training locals in research and development on the company’s products so they can then develop similar software and design their own goods.”
The ban was imposed by Indonesia in October 2024, after the company launched iPhone 16. As iPhone users can now buy the latest iPhone series, iPhone 16e will be selling in Indonesian markets for the first time.
Apple’s Promotion of the iPhone 16 range
In a blog post, the company promoted the iPhone 16 range without making any reference to Indonesia’s ban on Apple, making it entirely a new launch.
Indonesia’s Response
The Indonesian government has not yet made a clear statement about the end of the ban; however, Antara, the country’s official news agency, reported that Apple is steadily gaining its regulatory permits.
Indonesia’s Ban on iPhone 16
The Indonesian government imposed a ban on the sale of iPhone 16 owing to its local content quota, which requires companies to manufacture a certain number of devices in the country. The amount of the quota varies between 35% and 40%.
Apple’s quota was quite high, as the company previously didn’t have manufacturing operations in Indonesia. It was reported that Apple’s shortfall was around $10 million, which the company offered to the government; however, the Indonesian government demanded the investment be raised to $100 million. Another company’s offer to produce AirTags in Indonesia was declared ‘not enough’, as AirTags are not a component of the iPhone, making them unable to fulfill the required quota.
Notably, in April 2024, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that the company would expand its manufacturing in Indonesia.
Recently, Huawei announced that.
it will partner with local manufacturers to comply with the country’s local quota.
