TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Govt, US embassy meet amid tariff tensions, pushing for trade stability
In their meeting on Wednesday, just before the Trump administration reversed course on its sweeping tariff policy, the senior economic minister and the US ambassador spoke of constructive cooperation as a way forward in bilateral trade talks.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto (left) speaks with United States Ambassador to Indonesia Kamala S. Lakhdhir at his Central Jakarta office on April 10, 2025. (Courtesy of/Coordinating Economic Ministry)
T
he government has reiterated its commitment to diplomacy in issues of global trade, ruling out a tit-for-tat response to the 32 percent import tariff imposed on Indonesian goods by the United States, which was to come into effect on April 9 but has now been suspended.
Addressing the tariff policy of US President Donald Trump’s administration, Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto and US Ambassador to Indonesia Kamala S. Lakhdhir both pledged on Wednesday to keep the two countries’ economic ties on track through constructive cooperation.
During the meeting at the senior minister’s office in Central Jakarta, Airlangga reiterated Jakarta’s commitment to pursuing negotiations rather than retaliation in bilateral trade.
“Indonesia will prioritize negotiation channels and will not take retaliatory measures, in line with [the policies of] other ASEAN countries,” he said in a statement from his office, calling the tariffs “a challenge to be resolved through dialogue”.
Airlangga and Lakhdhir also discussed ways to de-escalate tensions and deepen economic ties, indicating a shared preference for trade diplomacy.
Read also: In stunning U-turn, Trump walks back some tariffs, triggering historic market rally
Their high-level meeting came just before Trump reversed course later that day on the sweeping tariffs he had imposed on dozens of countries including Indonesia, suspending their enforcement for 90 days while ramping up pressure on China.
