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strong>Oct. 8, p6

Indonesia should thoroughly analyze the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that was approved on Monday by the US, Japan and 10 other economies in the Pacific region that account for 40 percent of the world'€™s economy before making up its mind as to whether to join the new regional free trade pact within the medium or long term.

The government rightly decided a few years ago not to join the TPP negotiations, instead focusing on the development of the ASEAN Economic Community and negotiations of ASEAN-led regional comprehensive economic partnerships.

But now that four ASEAN members '€” Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam '€” have become TPP members and several others, including Thailand and the Philippines, are also considering joining the TPP, we should no longer completely rule out the possibility of joining the TPP in the medium or long term.

Your comments:

Yes, Indonesia should get in. Unfortunately, they didn'€™t get in sooner so they could have joined in the negotiations on the final draft. The thing is, if Indonesia doesn'€™t get in, they lose big.

Simaging

Indonesian economists should ask themselves whether Indonesia is able to compete with China in the global economy. If the answer is '€œNo'€, then Indonesia should join the TPP earlier, enabling us to help set the trading rules and capture US and Japanese markets before the TPP includes China, which will happen sooner or later.

It is important that Indonesia takes advantage of the main player in region to ensure the existing and upcoming free-trade deals meet Indonesia'€™s interests at large and regionally.

Rim Roger

PRC is one of the largest importers of goods! Business is always a two-way street.

Mouse

Love to see how you do manufacturing your own penicillin. Or will you just let people die from infections? Do you think zero imports is a realistic or desirable goal?

In regards to medicine, no. Penicillin is a product that today can be generically produced since there are no valid patents and it'€™s a very standard product. High-tech medicines, on the other hand, will have to be taken from their origin locations.

In general economics the '€œzero import'€ theory is rather difficult question to handle. If you have exports, zero imports are a big problem. Japan is a typical example of this. On the other hand, large imports and no exports is an even larger problem. The best situation is balanced trade. Many emerging markets import more than they export, therefore, they are hunting foreign investments. China has been exporting far more than importing, which now leads to insane investments around the globe. Often politicians try to use '€œstrategic'€ limitations on both exports and imports, which often leads to problems. For example, Indonesian quotas on foodstuffs or export restrictions on palm oil.

I believe that balanced trade with realistic degree of sophistication is the best. Unfortunately, very few countries are there yet.

Orang Biasa

TPP details? Have you had a look at these? Sometimes you have to dance with the devil to sing with the angels.

Lisebuckeridge

Sure, Indonesia could sit back, take their time and see what happens. As in all trade agreements there will be some good points and bad. The real question is, can Indonesia afford to wait? They are very successful in dragging their feet and just letting things go away, this time what may be going away is their export merchandise, while others like Vietnam and Malaysia get the contracts. By the time Indonesia gets in the game, the game could be over. I do believe that this is one of those times Indonesia needs to work very fast to get their eggs in order and actually look to staking a successful future.

Sima

Actually I think Indonesia may be quite clever this time. Remember the UK and the EU? The UK waited until the EU proved it could work well enough together before joining and, arguably, came out of the recent fiasco with Greece well covered. Don'€™t think for a minute that just because they'€™re all '€œbrothers together'€ that the members will play nice. It behooves Indonesia to stand back and wait to see what happens.

MAR

Some of the things written there may be reasons why Indonesia does not want to join the TPP, such as standing up for human rights, the environment (i.e. deforestation) and child labor.

The problem is that none of the people know what exactly they have agreed to, since most of the negotiations were made in secret. It doesn'€™t always add to the discourse to assume that everything Indonesia does is either venal or based in stupidity.

Markit

How can Indonesia become more competitive if it isolates itself even more from the outside world? Indonesia needs to open wide its gates to foreign experts and foreign companies. It is only through close proximity with them that Indonesians will learn how to work efficiently and professionally and become competitive.

Silvio Bari

In those two years, Indonesia will lose out big time, and when they do decide to join, they will have to negotiate '€œlower'€ to get some of the market from Vietnam and other developing countries, basically '€œshafting'€ the locals once again.

Willo

Indonesia please stay free and unsullied by the American cultural and economic theft that will occur with passage of the Trans Pacific Partnership! You don'€™t want the type of corporate hegemony, government corruption, massive poverty and cultural malaise we live with daily in the US! Indonesia has a come a long way to reducing corruption and increasing the quality of life for its people '€” TPP will undo the progress you have made and accelerate it in reverse. Take it from an American and resist this Trojan horse!

Maurice Gold