Sweet deal on sugar imports
Indonesia agrees to drop sugar tariff to 5%
Australia has struck a sweet deal with Indonesia to lower its tax on sugar imports. The agreement was sealed between PM Malcolm Turnbull and President Joko Widodo during a stroll in the Botanic Gardens. Indonesia had agreed to lower its sugar tariffs for Australian companies. The tariff will go down to 5 per cent.
AUSTRALIA has struck a sweet deal with Indonesia to lower its tax on sugar imports.
The agreement was sealed between PM Malcolm Turnbull and President Joko Widodo during a stroll in the Botanic Gardens.
The pair dined at Mr Turnbull’s Point Piper home on Saturday night, with the Prime Minister snapping a selfie with his wife Lucy and President Widodo and his wife Iriana on his terrace.
In a joint press conference yesterday, the two leaders were at pains to say their two countries were friends again. Indonesia cut off military cooperation with Australia late last year after allegedly offensive material was discovered by Indonesian military staff at a WA training base.
“President Widodo and I have agreed to the full restoration of defence co-operation, training exchanges and activities,” Mr Turnbull said.
“The relationship is much more than agreements and close ties between governments. Indonesia is our number one holiday destination, with about a million Australians travelling to Bali alone last year.”
Mr Turnbull announced that during talks between the pair, Indonesia had agreed to lower its sugar tariffs for Australian companies. The tariff will go down to 5 per cent.
The issue had been a sticky matter for exporters who complained they were being charged more to import their product into Indonesia than other nations. In return, Australia will eliminate tariffs on pesticides and herbicides coming from Indonesia.
President Widodo revealed that the deal had been sealed during Saturday’s dinner and a stroll in the gardens.