The Indonesian government has threatened to force Australian wine to be sold in plain packaging.

The threat was made in retaliation against Australia’s plain packaging laws on tobacco, which were introduced in December 2012.

Indonesia is one of the world’s largest exporters of cigarettes, and it has called on other major tobacco-producing countries to follow its lead.

Along with Ukraine, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, Indonesia has brought action against Australia arguing that the plain packaging laws were hampering its intellectual property rights.

The case, which is due to begin later this month, will now be settled by the World Trade Organisation.

The UK government is still remaining tight-lipped about the launch of its final plain packaging consultation, which was due to have been published last month.