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Indonesia still relies on industrial salt imports despite self-sufficiency goal

According to Indonesia's Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the country imported about 936,000 tonnes of industrial salt containing at least 97% sodium chloride in the first five months of 2026, up 13.1% year-on-year.

Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia continues to rely heavily on industrial salt imports despite its goal of achieving salt self-sufficiency by 2027, as domestic production has yet to meet the purity standards required by industries.

According to Indonesia's Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the country imported about 936,000 tonnes of industrial salt containing at least 97% sodium chloride in the first five months of 2026, up 13.1% year-on-year.

Experts said domestic salt production is sufficient for household consumption but falls short of the quality required by industries such as chlor-alkali, food processing, and pharmaceuticals.

Nailul Huda, Economic Director at the Centre of Economic and Law Studies (Celios), said the lack of transparent data makes it difficult to determine whether higher imports reflect rising industrial demand or stockpiling by businesses.

Nailul said imports should therefore be scheduled carefully to avoid coinciding with the local harvest season and depressing prices for domestic producers.

Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has forecast a longer dry season in 2026 due to El Niño, which is expected to boost domestic salt production. Imports during the harvest period could depress local prices and reduce producers' incomes.

Economists said Indonesia needs greater transparency in supply and demand, better-managed import policies and stronger support to improve the quality of domestic salt if it is to meet its self-sufficiency target by 2027./.

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