Indonesia bans the sale of iPhone 16 and Apple Watch 10 in its territory for this reason
It is not unusual for some countries in the world to ban the sale of electronic devices, but lately there seems to be a certain obsession with mobile phones. An example of this is happening in Germany, where the sale of smartphones from Vivo, Motorola, Realme and others has stopped, for almost the same reason.
However, what we didn’t expect was that the next thing to make headlines would be an Apple mobile phone. Indonesia has banned the iPhone 16 in its territory in retaliation against Apple. Yes, you read it: retaliation. What did Apple do to the Indonesians that they would take revenge on it? We’ll tell you, and in addition, we’ll tell you that it’s not the only Apple device banned.
Apple violated an investment agreement and Indonesia banned it from selling iPhone 16 and Apple Watch 10 for this reason
Through a memo published by the state-run Antara news agency, the Indonesian government revealed that it will ban the sale of the iPhone 16 and Apple Watch 10 series in the country. The Indonesian Ministry of Industry indicated that it will prevent the issuance of new IMEI numbers for these devices, and therefore they will not be able to be marketed in the country.
The reason for this decision is that Apple had violated the agreement reached with the state. The American company had committed to fund more than Rs 1.71 trillion (about $ 100 million) in local research and development (RD) facilities. However, Apple has so far invested only Rs 1.48 trillion (about $ 87 million).
You’re probably thinking, “Apple has already complied, so why doesn’t Indonesia give them more time for the rest?” The answer is simple: agreements have deadlines and must be met, which Apple wouldn’t do. And if you’re wondering why this agreement is in place, we’d say it’s actually more than just a commitment.
In order to operate in the country and obtain the “TKDN” certification, Indonesian laws require foreign companies to allocate 40% of their investment in the country to local development. This money can be used for local manufacturing of your products, local software development, or R&D facilities. Apple chose the latter option, missed deadlines, and will now be unable to sell its latest mobile devices in the Asian country.
The level of the ban has reached such a level that Industry Minister Jumiwang Kartasasmita asserted that “if there is an iPhone 16 that can work in Indonesia, it means it is an illegal device. . In other words, even citizens can be punished for owning an iPhone 16 in that country.