Indonesia has declared plans to boost U.S. imports as part of efforts to narrow its growing trade surplus with Washington. Chief Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto shared the decision on Monday, highlighting the move as a step toward easing trade tensions. The initiative comes ahead of a high-level delegation’s visit to Washington later this month, as Jakarta seeks to strengthen its reputation as a cooperative economic partner.
“Indonesia will purchase goods from America according to Indonesia’s needs,” Airlangga told reporters.
Last week, he stated that Jakarta plans to purchase additional products, including liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas, as part of efforts to narrow the trade gap with the United States, one of Indonesia’s leading trading partners.
The 32% tariffs imposed on Indonesia made it one of the hardest-hit countries in Asia by Trump’s sweeping policies. The measures disrupted supply chains and put a strain on Indonesia’s bilateral relations.
Data from the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office shows that the U.S. goods trade deficit with Indonesia increased by 5.4% in 2024, reaching $17.9 billion.
During the previous week, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani outlined plans to reduce import taxes on certain commodities, including mobile phones and laptops, with tariffs dropping from 2.5% to 0.5%. Additionally, she noted that tariffs on other U.S. goods, such as steel and medical equipment, would be decreased from 5–10% to a range of 0–5%.
Airlangga confirmed that a delegation, including Foreign Minister Sugiono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, will visit Washington from April 16 to 23. They will meet senior officials from Trump’s administration, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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