JAKARTA: Indonesia is not going to retaliate in opposition to US President Donald Trump’s 32 per cent commerce tariff on Southeast Asia’s largest financial system, its senior financial minister stated on Sunday (Apr 6) within the authorities’s first response to the levy.
Chief Financial Minister Airlangga Hartarto stated in an announcement that Indonesia would pursue diplomacy and negotiations to seek out mutually useful options after Trump introduced sweeping world tariffs on Wednesday.
“The method was taken by contemplating the long-term curiosity of bilateral commerce relation, in addition to to take care of the funding local weather and nationwide financial stability,” Airlangga stated, including that Jakarta will assist doubtlessly impacted sectors, such because the attire and footwear business.
Trump’s tariff on Indonesia, one in every of six hard-hit Southeast Asian nations, is ready to take impact on Wednesday.
The Indonesian authorities will collect inputs from companies on Monday to assist formulate technique to deal with the US tariff, and can discover methods to extend commerce with European nations as an alternative choice to the US and China, Airlangga stated.
Jakarta has stated it will ship a high-level delegation to the US for direct negotiations with the federal government.
Indonesia posted a US$16.8 billion commerce surplus final 12 months with the US, which was its third-biggest export vacation spot, receiving shipments price US$26.3 billion in 2024, based on Indonesian authorities information.
Indonesia’s principal exports to the US embody electronics, attire and clothes, and footwear.
