Indonesia Finally Allows Kratom Exports Under New Regulations

Indonesian officials have given the green light to kratom exports under new regulations. Since September of 2024, when new regulations were established, cargo containers carrying tons of kratom have been backlogged at Indonesian ports.

Three hundred fifty-one tons on 13 cargo containers were released last week by the Indonesian Ministry of Trade.

"Congratulations to the kratom business actors who have succeeded in penetrating the international market by meeting the export standards set by the government," said Minister of Trade Budi Santoso in a statement.

The new regulations that took six months to implement are:

• Trade Regulation Number 20: This regulation amends a 2023 regulation that prohibited the export of contaminated substances, including kratom tainted with toxic levels of heavy metals, bacterial contamination, and non-kratom ground leaf material.

• Trade Regulation Number 21: This regulation focuses on the broader export policy and regulation framework. It requires kratom exports to comply with predetermined standards to increase added value and provide legal certainty

Members of the Indonesian kratom industry urged swift implementation of the new regulations, but exports were held up as officials would not conduct compliance inspections or issue permits as the new system was being implemented.

Another factor in this delay was that kratom exporters had to become educated on compliance with the new laws. In order to export kratom, quality standards are now in place: Kratom must be free from microbiological contamination, heavy metals, and non-kratom leaf material. Only then can exporters be issued a permit to ship kratom.

PT SUCOFINDO, a company that works in many sectors of Indonesia's economy, was appointed by the Minister of Trade to conduct laboratory testing of kratom products.

Eko Darmansyah Sugiarto, an official in charge of foreign trade, told Indonesian media that there are currently 52 registered exporters who can legally ship kratom abroad.

Statements from the Minister of Trade and the kratom industry welcomed the new regulations as a way to add value to kratom products by decreasing the likelihood of contamination.

"With the implementation of this regulation, there is protection for us from the risk of rejection by buyers in the destination country. One of the benefits is that we can avoid losses from rejection by buyers after we send the goods," said Agus Widhiyanto of the Association of Borneo Natural Revenue Management Community Group, or Kompar.

The Global Kratom Coalition, based in the United States, came out in support of the regulations last year. In August 2024, Matthew Lowe, Executive Director of the Global Kratom Coalition, said, "The Global Kratom Coalition fully supports the regulatory developments...which will ensure the safe and responsible trading of kratom, benefiting both farmers and consumers...This initiative marks a significant step towards safeguarding kratom's economic potential while adhering to health and safety standards."