Low domestic salt production coupled with increasing industrial demand has prompted the government to once again open the floodgates for imports. However, this policy consistently sparks controversy due to conflicting data. As is known, since 2016, salt production has sharply declined due to extreme weather changes resulting in high rainfall.
Based on the recommendation of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), the import requirement for salt this year is 2.17 million tons, while based on industrial needs, it reaches 3.7 million tons. However, the Ministry of Trade ultimately granted import permits for industrial salt totaling 2.37 million tons, valid for one year.
According to data from the Indonesian Salt User Industry Association (AIPGI), the industrial salt requirement is estimated at 3.7 million tons. The petrochemical industry has the largest demand, requiring 1.78 million tons or 47.21% of the total. Pulp and paper industries are second, requiring 708,000 tons (18.8%), followed by various food industries at 535,000 tons (14.19%).