Semiconductor Imports Hit Rp 81.64 Trillion, Industry Minister Warns of Supply Risk
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Indonesia’s semiconductor imports reached Rp 81.64 trillion, equal to $4.87 billion, as of Thursday, Jan 29, 2026 in Bandung, highlighting deep import dependence that the government says threatens industrial resilience amid rising demand from electronics and automotive sectors. The surge has nearly doubled since 2020 and is pushing policymakers to accelerate domestic chip ecosystem development.
Data from Statistics Indonesia showed semiconductor imports rose sharply from $2.33 billion in 2020 to $4.87 billion in the January to November 2025 period. Taiwan accounted for $1.35 billion of imports, followed by China at $1.24 billion, with South Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Japan also major suppliers.
“This condition is a warning signal for national industrial resilience, considering semiconductors are critical components across strategic industries,” Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said at the Indonesia Semiconductor Summit 2026 in Bandung, West Java, on Thursday.
He said semiconductors acted as key enablers for priority sectors including electronics, automotive, telecommunications, energy, defense, and digital transformation. Indonesia’s electronics sector alone recorded annual mobile phone production of around 30 million to 60 million units.
Agus said demand was also reflected in other electronics, with laptop requirements targeted to reach 1.57 million units in 2026. In the automotive sector, semiconductor use had become increasingly crucial as vehicles incorporated more advanced safety, electronic control, and powertrain systems.
“Indonesia’s motor vehicle production in 2025 reached 803,867 units, including hybrid and electric vehicles that contain up to three times more semiconductor value than conventional vehicles,” he said. “Therefore, the need to develop the semiconductor industry, especially chip production, is becoming increasingly urgent.”
Agus said Indonesia had already entered parts of the global semiconductor value chain through assembly and testing facilities in Batam operated by PT Infineon Technologies Batam and a local integrated circuit design company, PT Xirka Dama Persada. He added that the country was supported by a downstream industrial base, including electronic manufacturing services, original equipment manufacturers, and an established automotive industry.
“This condition shows that although wafer fabrication has not yet developed significantly domestically, Indonesia has an ecosystem foundation that can be strengthened gradually through upstream industrial deepening, enhanced design capacity, and tighter integration between the semiconductor industry and national electronics and automotive industries,” he said.