TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, said Indonesia will propose a trade tariff reduction to the United States (U.S.).

The initiative is intended to mitigate the import tariff policies during Donald Trump’s administration, which is set for inauguration on January 20.

“We are requesting bilateral economic cooperation to help lower tariffs,” said Airlangga when met in the Kuningan area, South Jakarta, on Monday, January 13, 2025. 

Trade cooperation between Indonesia and the US, he continued, can later be implemented through a free trade agreement (FTA). 

Airlangga said Indonesia was immune to the imposition of high trade tariffs by the U.S., claiming that it’s not new. 

“We’ve become somewhat immune to the tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Indonesia,” he said, while mentioning that the U.S. has been imposing tariffs on several commodities, including apparel and shoes. 

Donald Trump will officially return to office this year. The 78-year-old man successfully reclaimed the White House in November 2024, where he secured 312 electoral votes, exceeding the 270 votes needed to win the presidency. 

With the motto “America First," Donald Trump vowed to impose a 10 percent tariff on all imported goods entering the U.S. The protectionist approach Trump promoted in his campaign is a policy that prioritizes U.S. economic interests and promotes policies that reduce dependence on other countries. 

Editor’s Choice: Bank Indonesia Governor Urges Indonesia to Learn Export-Import from Trump

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News