Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — The Indonesian government is preparing to increase imports from the United States by $18 to $19 billion as part of a broader strategy to respond to President Donald Trump reciprocal trade tariffs.
Speaking at a press conference in Jakarta on Monday, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said the move is aimed at balancing the bilateral trade relationship between Indonesia and the U.S., which remains in significant surplus in Indonesia’s favor.
“This is part of Indonesia’s plan to compensate for the trade delta between our exports and imports with the United States, which amounts to $18–$19 billion,” said Airlangga.
Although the government has not disclosed a detailed list of the commodities targeted for increased imports, Airlangga emphasized that the selected goods will meet domestic demand and will not disrupt local production.
Historically, key U.S. imports to Indonesia have included agricultural products such as wheat and soybeans. When asked whether oil and gas imports from the U.S. would also be increased, Airlangga said discussions on that front are still ongoing. “We haven’t talked about that yet,” he noted.
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Further details of the import plan and negotiation strategy are expected to be discussed during an official visit by an Indonesian delegation to Washington, D.C., from April 16 to 23.
The delegation, led by Airlangga, includes Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, Foreign Minister Sugiono, Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Djiwandono, and several other high-ranking officials.
The diplomatic mission comes in response to a recent policy by Donald Trump, who earlier this month imposed a 32% tariffs on imports from Indonesia. In response, the Indonesian government has submitted an official letter requesting negotiations to ease the trade restrictions.
In addition to addressing Trump reciprocal tariffs regime, the planned increase in imports is also seen as a move to help narrow Indonesia’s persistent trade surplus with the United States.
According to data from Indonesia’s Ministry of Trade, the country recorded a $14.34 billion trade surplus with the U.S. in 2024 largely driven by exports of electrical machinery, apparel, and footwear. Indonesia’s is now expected to engage in negotiations with the U.S. to seek more favorable trade terms.
(Raidi/Agung)
