Jakarta ( WNAM MONITORING): Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, has said that with the United States and China agreeing to slash tariffs for 90 days, Indonesia will also seek to push its own tariff deal with the US.
“There is a 90-day pause with China. Thus, we are using this period to negotiate with the US,” he said at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, on Thursday.
He informed that his team is currently studying the discussion materials and preparing information on the strategic commodities that will be needed during the negotiations.
He opined that from a macroeconomic perspective, the 90-day temporary pause cannot be considered as an easing of trade tensions between the US and China.
He further said that although the market has reacted positively to this announcement, the Indonesian government cannot immediately draw conclusions because the agreement is still temporary.
Earlier, the Indonesian delegation, led by Minister Hartarto, met with the US Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, on April 20, 2025, to submit a tariff negotiation proposal.
To balance the US trade deficit, Indonesia has made a concrete offer to increase its purchases and imports of several commodities, including energy products, crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and gasoline, from the US.
The country is also seeking to increase imports of agricultural products, such as soybeans and wheat, from the US.
On April 2, US President Donald Trump announced “reciprocal” tariffs on several countries, with Indonesia slapped with a 32-percent tariff. The Trump administration also imposed a 10-percent baseline tariff on imports from all countries.
However, he then announced a 90-day postponement for most countries, including Indonesia, opening room for negotiations.
