The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is requesting comments on the issues raised in a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute against Indonesia’s non-automatic import licensing regime for horticultural products, animals, and animal products. WTO recently established a dispute settlement panel in this case, and interested parties have until June 2 to submit comments on the relevant issues.

USTR said that for animals and animal products, an importer must receive an import approval recommendation from the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture. Once this recommendation has been received, the importer must apply for an import license with the Ministry of Trade, which only allows the import if, among other factors, domestic production and supply of the product do not meet “demand for public consumption at reasonable price.” Indonesia’s government also sets quotas for animals and animal products twice a year, which are enforced through the import licensing regime.

The pertinent May 9, 2013 Federal Register notice is available here.