Indonesia has banned gross sales of Google Pixel smartphones for failing to fulfill home content material necessities, days after blocking Apple’s iPhone 16 in Southeast Asia’s largest cellphone market.
The Indonesian Ministry of Business mentioned Google’s telephones can’t be traded till they adjust to guidelines requiring 40% native content material in smartphones offered in Indonesia.
Google should acquire native content material certification earlier than resuming gross sales, Business Ministry spokesperson Febri Hendri Antoni Arief instructed native reporters. “The native content material rule and associated insurance policies are made for equity for all traders that spend money on Indonesia, and for creating added worth and deepening the business construction right here,” Hendri was quoted as saying.
The ban follows Indonesia’s block on iPhone 16 gross sales final week after Apple failed to fulfill a $95 million funding dedication. Main smartphone makers should manufacture units, develop firmware, or spend money on native innovation to fulfill Indonesia’s content material guidelines.
The Indonesian rule requires tech corporations to supply 40% of handset and pill parts domestically, a requirement that may be met by native manufacturing, firmware growth or direct funding in innovation tasks.
Firms can fulfill the necessities by completely different routes. Samsung and Xiaomi, as an example, have established manufacturing services, whereas Apple has opted to open developer academies.
The regulation, enforced by a certification system referred to as “native content material degree,” types a part of Indonesia’s broader industrial coverage to leverage its giant client marketplace for home financial growth. Firms failing to fulfill these thresholds face gross sales restrictions.
Neither Google nor Apple rank amongst Indonesia’s prime 5 smartphone manufacturers, in response to advertising analysis agency Counterpoint.
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