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TikTok X GOTO Retrieval Union Amidst Ban


Concerns about TikTok's e-commerce subsidiary, TikTok Shop, and its possible negative effects on regional micro, small, and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs) led to a nationwide ban on the company's trading on Wednesday (10/4). To safeguard the welfare of its entrepreneurs, governmental intervention ensued, driven by apprehensions regarding predatory pricing and potential challenges posed by TikTok Shop for small businesses operating in international markets. In an unexpected turn of events, the Indonesian Trade Minister, Zulkifli Hasan, has granted approval for a novel collaboration between PT Gojek Tokopedia Tbk (GOTO) and ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, marking a notable development in the business landscape and opening avenues for an unconventional partnership between the two entities. A notable shift from the previous ban on TikTok's commercial activities is the introduction of a platform for online transactions through this collaborative effort. The government's revised stance demonstrates its commitment to maintaining consumer protection while supporting MSMEs and local e-commerce businesses. Minister Hasan stated that cooperation is permissible provided it conforms with current laws, referring to Minister of Trade Regulation No. 31/2023 on the Development, Advertising, Supervision, and Licensing of Commerce Companies Using Electronic Systems in particular. This change in policy represents a calculated attempt to maintain the interests of regional companies in Indonesia's dynamic economic environment while simultaneously promoting digital economic growth.


Bloomberg has reported that ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, and GoTo's business unit, Tokopedia, have reportedly come to a collaborative agreement. It is anticipated that this partnership's specifics will be made public during the upcoming week. The partnership between TikTok and Tokopedia is perceived as a calculated attempt to bring TikTok Shop back online in Indonesia after it was suspended on Wednesday (10/4) for violating the Minister of Trade Regulation 31/2023. As the first business venture for TikTok Shop, the investment in Tokopedia is expected to highlight Indonesia's significance as a major e-commerce market in Southeast Asia. According to Bloomberg's sources, the agreement between Tokopedia and TikTok Shop may encounter challenges and is subject to regulatory approval. Beyond just investing, TikTok and GoTo are reportedly discussing other cooperative plans, like a joint venture that might involve developing a new e-commerce platform. Indonesia is crucial to TikTok Shop as it served as its first and biggest market. The platform's successful 2021 launch in Indonesia, where it catered to a younger demographic that valued video content above everything else, led to its later expansion into other markets, including the United States. Even though TikTok Shop saw success, GoTo's stock experienced volatility, which could have been caused by investor concern or doubts about the implications of the collaboration. The dynamics of this partnership will probably affect TikTok Shop's future as well as the wider e-commerce scene in Indonesia as the specifics of the agreement are worked out.


In the ongoing partnership between GoTo and ByteDance, TikTok's flagship enterprise, there is a strategic initiative to rejuvenate the online retail services provided by TikTok Shop within the Indonesian market. The significance of ByteDance's investment in Tokopedia underscores Indonesia's pivotal role in facilitating TikTok Shop's endeavors in the realm of e-commerce operations. This collaboration comes after the TikTok store was forced to cease operations for several months because of the Ministry of Trade regulations that prohibited social media companies from operating as e-commerce platforms in tandem. The agreement offers TikTok Shop a renewed presence in Indonesia's competitive e-commerce landscape, granting the platform another opportunity to connect with the local consumer base. On the other hand, the impact on GoTo's stock performance seems to contradict itself. On Wednesday (12/6), GoTo Gojek Tokopedia Tbk (GOTO) experienced a notable decline in its stock value, plummeting to Rp95 per share, marking a decrease of 5.94%. This sustained downward trajectory prompted GOTO to revisit the psychological threshold of Rp90 per share, a boundary it had recently surpassed at Rp100 per share. Despite the formal collaboration between ByteDance and GoTo, apprehension among investors regarding the potential ramifications of the partnership is evident in the stock market's reaction. The difference between GoTo's stock performance and TikTok Shop's potential for recovery raises concerns about market sentiment, as investors might be responding to information that has not been made public or to broader market dynamics. It's unclear how well TikTok Shop's resurgence, now in line with GoTo, will work.


Sources:

CNBC

CNN

Jakarta Globe


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