"The exports were carried out through Thailand because all fruit from Thailand can enter China," Agriculture Ministry director-general of horticulture Achmad Dimyati is reported as saying last week.

He made the remarks after meeting the trade minister to discuss barriers to the fruit trade with China.

Indonesia's fruit exports to China are small, but because most of them go through third countries, Indonesia's interests are affected, he said.

In 2005 Indonesia's fruit exports, including mangoes, mangosteens and pineapples, were worth US$2.7 million (Bt100.9 million), while its fruit imports were estimated at $100.9 million, Antara reported.

Some time ago Indonesian exporters complained about the refusal by China's customs of Indonesian papayas and mangoes on the grounds that only mangosteens, bananas and longans were allowed to enter the country.

Under the Asean-China Free Trade Agreement, all Indonesian fruits are duty-free commodities.

"Therefore it is clear that there should be no barrier to Indonesian fruit, but in practice we are allowed to export only the three kinds of fruit because other fruits are not included in the harmonised system," the director-general said.

He suggested that if a particular export was not included in China's harmonised system, it should be put in some other category and be liable to import duties under the harmonised system for that category.

During a bilateral meeting with his Indonesian counterpart in Bali last month, Chinese Trade Minister Bo Xilai said Indonesia's exports to China should face no problem, according to Antara.

It is in this context that the Indonesian ministries of trade and agriculture are taking technical steps to follow up the difficulty.