Indonesia, Apple near deal to lift iPhone 16 sales ban

• Published On: 22 January 2025 at 17:28

Indonesia is reportedly close to reaching an agreement with Apple Inc. to resolve the country's ongoing ban on iPhone 16 sales, Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani said in an interview with Bloomberg News on Tuesday.

Roeslani stated at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that "Hopefully within one or two weeks, this issue can be resolved."

The ban, imposed last year, resulted from Apple's failure to comply with Indonesian regulations requiring at least 40% of the components in smartphones sold locally to be manufactured in the country. While Apple has no manufacturing facilities in Indonesia, the tech behemoth has operated application developer academies in the country since 2018 as part of its local engagement strategy.

With a population of around 280 million, Indonesia is a significant market for Apple, making resolving this issue critical for the company. Analysts believe the potential deal could include increased investment commitments from Apple to strengthen Indonesia's technology and manufacturing ecosystems.