Indonesia has authorised beef imports from a further 14 processing plants in Brazil, intensifying competition in what has been a strong growth market for Australian boxed beef and offal in recent years.

The approvals lift the number of Brazilian meat packers authorised to export to Indonesia to 52, up from just 21 six months ago.

Indonesia has also recently announced its 2026 import permit allocations which provide preferential access for boxed beef imports from Brazil and reduced allocations for other sources, including long-term supplier Australia.

The Indonesian Government has been implementing import policies aimed at improving beef affordability for consumers in the lead-up to this year’s Ramadan/Lebaran holy month, which commences in mid-February.

As part of those measures, it recently lowered the maximum price that Indonesian feedlots are permitted to sell finished cattle through until the end of the Ramadan period, and has also made significant changes to boxed beef import permits, including allocating larger import permit quotas for lower-priced boxed beef from Brazil.

State-owned enterprises have been granted a significantly increased permit allocation of 250,000 tonnes. This includes 100,000 tonnes of buffalo meat from India, 75,000 tonnes of boxed beef from Brazil, and a further 75,000 tonnes from other sources including Australia, the US and New Zealand.

Australia exported 84,000 tonnes of beef and offal to Indonesia last year.

Private importers have borne the brunt of the changes, with their permit allocations falling from 180,000 tonnes last year to just 30,000 tonnes this year.

They have warned the sharp reduction in boxed beef quotas will trigger job losses and lead to higher domestic beef prices – the opposite of the outcome the Indonesian Government is seeking to achieve.

In recent days, the Indonesian Government has promised to review its severe cut to regular beef import quotas in March 2026, in response to concerns raised by private-sector participants.