Indonesia floats idea of Oz wine requiring halal certification

Trade Minister Enggartiasto “Enggar” Lukita has floated the idea of requiring Australian wine sold in Indonesia to pass halal certification and use plain packaging in retaliation for the neighboring country “undermining” the selling of Indonesian tobacco and paper.

Enggar said he recently that he had voiced his resentment to Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo after Australia mandated in 2012 that cigarettes sold in the country must use plain packaging and levied anti-dumping duties on imported A4 paper from Indonesia in April.

“We facilitate imports of Australian beef. But I am devastated by the barriers slapped on our tobacco and A4 paper,” said Enggar at a gathering late on Thursday.

“I told Steve that I would consider requiring Australian wine sold in Indonesia to also have plain packaging and pass halal certification, but I deliver it in a light way though, and it was just an expression of my resentment,” he said.

Indonesia and other tobacco-producing countries, such as Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Honduras, filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Australia for what they consider illegal trade barriers by mandating plain packaging.