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.

Jakarta Post

Indonesia weighs US arms purchases to curb tariff threat, Bloomberg reports

Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin held a closed-door meeting of senior officials on April 8 to deliver a directive from the President Prabowo Subianto instructing them to identify US weapons that could be imported or fast-tracked for purchase, the report said, citing people with knowledge of the gathering.

Agencies
Jakarta
Sun, April 20, 2025 Published on Apr. 20, 2025 Published on 2025-04-20T11:24:30+07:00

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!
Indonesia weighs US arms purchases to curb tariff threat, Bloomberg reports President Prabowo Subianto speaks during the launch of a new system for directly transferring allowances to regional public school teachers' bank accounts at the Primary and Secondary Education Ministry in Jakarta on March 13, 2025. (AFP/Yasuyoshi Chiba)

I

ndonesia is considering purchasing billions of dollars worth of US-manufactured defence equipment, including fighter jets and munitions, Bloomberg news reported on Friday.

Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin held a closed-door meeting of senior officials on April 8 to deliver a directive from the President Prabowo Subianto instructing them to identify US weapons that could be imported or fast-tracked for purchase, the report said, citing people with knowledge of the gathering.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said on Friday that ndonesia will increase imports of US food and commodities and reduce orders from countries where it currently buys the products.

Airlangga is in the United States as part of a delegation of senior officials to meet US counterparts for talks on a 32 percent tariff on Indonesian exports, which has been paused for 90 days.

Indonesia has proposed increasing its imports from the US by as much as $19 billion, including around $10 billion of energy imports, to eliminate its trade surplus with Washington and avoid the tariffs threatened by the administration of President Donald Trump.

Airlangga made the comments after he and other delegates met US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

Data from the US Trade Representative Office shows Washington's goods trade deficit with Jakarta stood at $17.9 billion in 2024, up 5.4 percent on-year. 

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said this month that Indonesia would adjust import taxes on some commodities from 2.5 percent to 0.5 percent, including mobile phones and laptops. 

Other products, including US steel and medical equipment, would be granted lower import duties of zero to five percent, down from 5-10 percent, she said.

 

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Share options

Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!

Change text size options

Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small, medium, or large—find what’s most comfortable for you.

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!

Continue in the app

Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.