The Trade Ministry has lifted an export ban on personal protective equipment (PPE) amid oversupply in national production as it seeks to restore exports hard hit by the COVID-19 economic crisis.

According to the Ministerial Regulation No. 57/2020, issued by Trade Minister Agus Suparmanto, manufacturers can now export surgical masks, N-95 masks, coveralls, surgical gowns and raw material to make face masks. They can apply for the export permit via the government’s export-import online licensing system Indonesia National Single Window (INSW). They will then be required to provide documents such as a business permit, six-month export plan and statement to prove that they have stocks to meet domestic demand, in order to be granted export approval.

This trade ministry regulation aims to spur national economic growth, particularly for manufacturing, and improve India’s export performance amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The country’s exports fell by 28.95 per cent year-on-year (yoy) in May to $10.53 billion, the lowest level since July 2016, due to reduced shipments of coal, coffee, palm oil, as well as oil and gas.