The Indonesian government has removed import duties for machinery and goods used in vehicle factories in a bid to promote low cost, green cars.

A new regulation revised a previous regulation by including the automotive industry, particularly assemblers, in the incentives deal, industry ministry director general for high-technology priority industries, Budi Darmadi, told the Jakarta Post.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

“We expect that the incentive will help boost investment for the low cost and green car projects,” he said.

Several automakers, including Astra Daihatsu Motor and Toyota Astra Motor, are said to have decided to make such cars with new investments.

Budi said no duty would be levied on a wide range of machines used to assemble cars including pressing, stamping and welding. Duties currently range from 7.5% to 15%.

But 30% of equipment used in local plants must be locally made and there is a four year time limit after application.

Indonesia is also offering reduced import duty on some components and a reduction of luxury goods sales tax propoertional to the degree of localisation.

Qualifying cars are those with one-litre engines good for 22km on a litre of fuel or 1.2 litre models that achieve 20km per litre. The tax break will also be provided for manufacturers willing to transfer their technology within five years of starting local production.

Just Auto Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Auto Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Continental has secured the Window Displays Innovation Award in the 2025 Just Auto Excellence Awards for its Window Projection solution, transforming side windows into dynamic, data-rich canvases. Discover how this compact projection technology and intelligent software are reshaping in-car UX and opening fresh revenue streams for OEMs and mobility providers.

Discover the Impact