Indonesia sends top minister to US to finalise trade deal

JAKARTA – Indonesia is deploying a top economic minister to the US to finalise the details of a trade deal announced in July, a ministry spokesman said on Dec 18.

Washington has slashed the tariff faced by South-east Asia’s biggest economy from

32 per cent to 19 per cent

, in an agreement hailed by President Prabowo Subianto as a “new era” of trade relations between the two countries.

Discussions over the details of the deal have been ongoing since the July announcement, with Jakarta pushing for a tariff exemption for some of its export products, including crude palm oil (CPO).

Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto, who leads Indonesia’s negotiation team, is “currently heading to the US”, spokesman Haryo Limanseto told AFP.

Mr Airlangga is due to finalise the July deal with officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the spokesman said.

The minister previously told AFP that CPO, one of Indonesia’s key exports, will be a focus of the talks, noting that Washington had lowered tariffs on agricultural products such as coffee.

“The executive order already includes (exemption) of commodities such as coffee, cacao, and so on. Only CPO and its derivatives are left” to be negotiated, he said.

Under the framework agreement announced in July, Indonesia has also committed to spending billions to increase energy, agriculture, and aircraft imports from the US.

Mr Airlangga said this week that the deal was hoped to be signed by Mr Prabowo and US President Donald Trump in 2026, Indonesian media reported.

Data from the USTR shows Washington’s goods trade deficit with Indonesia was US$17.9 billion (S$23.1 billion) in 2024, up 5.4 per cent from 2023. AFP