According to United States Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, what Indonesia has offered and requested is considered very concrete and mutually beneficial to both countries, in contrast to several other countries whose proposals have not been accepted by the US side.
"We appreciate Indonesia's concrete steps to negotiate tariffs. Going forward, the US and Indonesia will continue to have a mutually beneficial trade relationship," Lutnick said in a written statement received in Jakarta, Sunday (20/4/2025).
Indonesia has delivered a number of concrete offers, including increased purchases of US energy products such as crude oil, LPG, and gasoline, as well as agricultural commodities such as soybeans, soybean meal, and wheat that are needed and not produced domestically.
In addition, Indonesia is also committed to strengthening cooperation in critical minerals, encouraging US investment, and resolving Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) that are of concern to US businesses.
Lutnick emphasized that Indonesia's proposal is much more realistic compared to other countries that have just proposed similar negotiations. Therefore, the US agreed to immediately start technical discussions with the target of finalizing the agreement in the next 60 days.
Before Indonesia, several countries such as Japan and Argentina had also approached the US tariff policy. However, Indonesia is among the few countries that immediately received a positive response and is scheduled to meet with high-ranking US officials, including the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and Secretary of Treasury.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, who led the Indonesian delegation, had previously held a virtual meeting with Lutnick before meeting directly at the Department of Commerce (DoC) Office. The meeting went smoothly and lasted more than 1.5 hours, showing the seriousness of both parties in reaching a fair agreement.
“We thank Secretary Lutnick for providing the opportunity to conduct tariff negotiations and reaffirm Indonesia's commitment to realizing fair and balanced trade,” Airlangga said.
The Indonesian delegation was accompanied by Deputy Minister of Finance Thomas Djiwandono, Deputy Chairperson of the National Economic Council Mari Elka Pangestu, Secretary of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Susiwijono Moegiarso, and a number of other high-ranking officials.