New Economy Forum
Indonesia Threatens to Ban European Goods in Dispute Over Palm Oil
- Biggest palm oil producer mulls moving WTO against EU curbs
- Bloc proposed stricter limits on palm oil’s use as biofuel
A worker loads bunches of harvested oil palm fruit in Riau Province, Indonesia.
Photographer: Dimas Ardian/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Indonesia threatened to ban imports of some goods from the European Union in retaliation for the bloc’s move to impose stricter limits on how palm oil can be used in green fuels.
The world’s largest palm oil producer is considering such a step to protect the interest of almost 20 million people, whose livelihood is tied to the commodity, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan told reporters in Jakarta on Wednesday. The minister hinted that jets manufactured by European companies could be among the target for boycott, saying the country would require about 2,500 aircraft in the next two decades.