Indonesia has changed how its most valuable commodities leave the country. Since 1 June 2026, export documentation for coal, crude palm oil (CPO) and ferroalloys is handled by a new state-linked company, PT Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia (DSI). The government has since described it as a "single-door" export system.

The change affects a large share of the country's export earnings, and it has drawn close attention from buyers in China and India, from commodity traders, and from investors watching the rupiah. This explainer covers what is known so far, based on official statements and published reporting.

What DSI is

  • Owner: DSI is 99% owned by Danantara Indonesia, the sovereign investment agency set up in 2025, according to Fortune.
  • Established: DSI was launched in May 2026. President Prabowo Subianto announced the policy to parliament on 20 May, according to Fortune and Indonesia Business Post.
  • Legal basis: Government Regulation (PP) No. 24 of 2026, as cited by ANTARA and ICIS.
  • Scope: Coal, CPO and ferroalloys. Upstream oil and gas are excluded.

How the system works

Exporters still negotiate with, and sell to, their overseas buyers. What changes is that the export paperwork, and increasingly the contracting and shipping arrangements, pass through DSI.

In July, Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani described DSI as a monitor and sales agent, with exporters keeping direct access to buyers (per ICIS). Danantara Chief Operating Officer Dony Oskaria said in June that DSI charges service fees rather than trading margins.

The timeline has moved more than once

Milestone Date
DSI launched and policy announced to parliament 20 May 2026
Transition phase begins (DSI handles documentation) 1 June 2026
Full processing, originally planned for 1 January 2027, brought forward to 1 September 2026
Full implementation target, per Trade Minister (22 September) 31 December 2026

The acceleration to September was reported by ICIS in July.

On 22 September, however, Trade Minister Budi Santoso told ANTARA that the system is still in transition, with full implementation targeted by the end of 2026. "I think it is good; everything is proceeding well, though we are still in a transition phase," he said.

Exporters should therefore treat 2026 as a changeover year, not a finished regime.

Why the government says it is needed

Officials cite three aims:

  1. Curb under-invoicing and transfer pricing. At a cabinet meeting on 20 July, President Prabowo said some exports were sold 30–40% below international benchmarks. His example was CPO declared at Rp15,000 per kg against a benchmark of Rp27,000, as reported by ICIS. Fortune reported a government claim that under-reporting had cost the country up to US$908 billion. NDNews has not independently verified either figure.
  2. Keep export proceeds onshore. The system is designed to route foreign-exchange earnings (devisa hasil ekspor, DHE) through the domestic financial system.
  3. Support the rupiah and inflation management. This is one of the objectives listed by the government, as cited by ANTARA.

What the first three months show

According to ANTARA's 22 September report, in its first three months DSI processed:

  • about 6,500 export declarations (PEB)
  • worth more than US$14 billion
  • covering more than 90 million tonnes
  • shipped to more than 100 destination countries

Separately, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan said on 27 July that DSI had accumulated US$12 billion in foreign exchange in June–July, up from around US$3 billion in May (per ICIS).

The open questions

  • Fees. PP 24/2026 allows DSI to set a "reasonable margin", but no percentage or fee schedule has been published, ICIS reported. For exporters on thin margins, particularly in coal, the size of that fee matters.
  • Operational bottlenecks. Commodity analyst Wahyu Laksono, quoted by Indonesia Business Post, outlined two scenarios. In a mild one, administrative friction causes one- to two-week delays and lifts coal prices 5–10%. In a severe one, congestion pushes buyers in China and India towards Australia and South Africa, lifting global prices 15–25%. Indonesia ships an estimated 350–400 million tonnes of thermal coal a year.
  • Buyer relationships. Eddy Martono of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) warned that established markets could be lost if the transition is poorly managed, per Fortune. Bhima Yudhistira of the think tank CELIOS called the move a "hostile takeover" of contracts in sectors with heavy Chinese involvement.
  • Transparency. Syahdiva Moezbar of the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air told Fortune that implementation transparency will determine how attractive Indonesia remains to new investors.

Where DSI fits in Danantara's wider plans

DSI is one part of a broader expansion by Danantara. In February 2026, CEO Rosan Roeslani presented a Rp202.4 trillion (US$13.1 billion) investment plan for the year, ANTARA reported. It covers waste-to-energy plants in 33 cities, caustic soda production for industrial downstreaming, a data-centre platform, and agriculture and food security.

Why it matters beyond commodities

Coal and palm oil are among Indonesia's largest sources of dollar income. If more of that income is converted and held onshore, it could ease pressure on the rupiah. That pressure is the same one that led Bank Indonesia to raise its policy rate by 100 basis points between May and June (see what BI's hikes mean for mortgage borrowers). If the system instead slows shipments or deters buyers, it could reduce export volumes at a sensitive time.

What to watch

  • Publication of DSI's fee structure.
  • Whether the 31 December 2026 full-implementation target holds.
  • Monthly export data from BPS-Statistics Indonesia for coal and CPO volumes.
  • Foreign-exchange reserves and the rupiah, reported by Bank Indonesia.

This article was researched with AI assistance and reviewed by the NDNews editorial team. It relies on the linked reports and official statements as of 25 September 2026. Figures attributed to officials have not been independently audited.