According to Indonesian regulations, smartphones sold in this country must have at least 40% of components produced domestically. Google Pixel smartphones did not meet this requirement. Previously, Indonesia also banned the sale of iPhone 16 series for the same reason.
“We are pushing for these regulations to ensure fairness for all investors in Indonesia,” Febri Hendri Antoni Arief, a spokesman for Indonesia’s industry ministry, told Reuters. “Google products do not comply with the plan we set, so they cannot be sold here,” he added.
Google said that Pixel phones are not yet officially distributed in Indonesia.
Consumers can buy Google Pixel phones abroad as long as they pay the full tax, Febri said, adding that the country would consider deactivating phones sold illegally.
To meet regulations in Indonesia, some companies often increase the use of domestic components through partnerships with local suppliers or by sourcing components domestically.
Google and Apple are not among the smartphone makers with the leading market share in Indonesia. The top two smartphone makers in the first quarter of 2024 were Oppo (China) and Samsung (South Korea), according to data from research firm IDC.
Indonesia has a large tech-savvy population, making the Southeast Asian nation an important target market for tech-related investments.
