Indonesia Nears Deal Lifting iPhone 16 Sales Ban as Apple Commits to Local Manufacturing

Indonesia is on the verge of finalizing an investment agreement with Apple Inc., which could potentially lift the sales ban on the iPhone 16 in the country. The Southeast Asian nation, noted for being its largest in the region, imposed the ban last October, citing Apple's non-compliance with local manufacturing requirements for smartphones and tablets.

The ongoing discussions between Apple and the Indonesian government have centered around an investment plan that would address these compliance matters and subsequently remove the restrictions. Indonesian Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani expressed confidence in swiftly resolving the issue, indicating that the barriers could be removed within a matter of weeks.

In earlier attempts to align with government stipulations, Apple had offered a substantial $1 billion proposal to one of its suppliers to establish a facility focused on producing AirTag devices within Indonesia. However, this proposal was turned down by the country's Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, who insisted that Apple must adhere to local legislation, a requirement that mandates partial phone or component manufacturing within Indonesia.

Minister Roeslani, acknowledging potential differences in understanding of these local content requirements, remarked that Apple has discerned a solution to reconcile these differences. He seemed optimistic that acceptance of this resolution would pave the way for Apple to resume sales of the iPhone 16 in Indonesia.