JAKARTA, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government announced on Monday that it has extended the working term of the Illegal Import Task Force to strengthen efforts against illegal trade.

Indonesian Minister of Trade Budi Santoso made the announcement during a press conference in Jakarta.

The task force was established on July 19, 2024, in response to a surge of imported goods from neighboring countries, which is said to pose a threat to local manufacturers and caused a decline in domestic industries.

The task force's responsibilities include identifying problems related to goods subject to import regulations, verifying business licenses for specific imported goods, and monitoring products to ensure compliance with legal standards. The primary goods under supervision are textiles, electronics, footwear, beauty products, and ceramics.

According to the ministry's data, from July to November last year, the task force seized illegally imported goods valued at 192.64 billion rupiahs (approximately 11.8 million U.S. dollars). During the same period, the team supervised products worth 212.8 billion rupiahs (around 13.1 million U.S. dollars).

"With the task force continuing its operations, we hope to prevent further violations related to imported goods in the future," Santoso added. ■