Indonesia's Lobbying Over U.S. Tariffs 'Likely Futile,' Says UI Professor

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Professor of International Law at the University of Indonesia, Hikmahanto Juwana, said that negotiations between the Indonesian government and the United States over Donald Trump's import tariffs policies are unlikely to produce results.

Hikmahanto noted that the presence or absence of an Indonesian ambassador to the United States would not influence the talks. He added that Indonesia’s desire to negotiate stems from the fact that around 50 other countries have already sent negotiation teams to the U.S.

"So this is not just Indonesia's issue. Many countries in Europe, the American continent, Canada, and also in Asia are affected," Hikmahanto told Tempo on Monday, April 7, 2025. "Once there, they might not achieve anything."

He emphasized that the import tariffs imposed on Indonesia and other countries are no longer open for negotiation. According to Hikmahanto, Donald Trump is trying to demonstrate "How to Make America Great Again," and one of his strategies involves tightening control over international trade.

"Well, we don't need to fight (for it), we don't need to want to negotiate. Even from big countries, they're already panicking," he said.

President Prabowo Subianto assigned one coordinating minister and two other ministers to form a lobbying team to negotiate with the US government regarding the 32 percent import tariffs.

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto stated that he, along with Finance Minister Sri Mulyani and Foreign Minister Sugiono, will be the lobbying team sent to the U.S.

Airlangga said the government will also send an official letter to the U.S. government regarding this negotiation plan. The government's lobbying team will negotiate with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and the United States Trade Representative.

Previously, Prabowo stated that negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump would be conducted to discuss the import tariff issues imposed on Indonesia.

"We will convey that we want good relations, fair, equal, reciprocal relations. So, whatever they ask for, we must respect," said Prabowo in a speech at a harvest festival in Majalengka, West Java, on Monday, April 7, 2025.

On April 2, President Donald Trump introduced a new import tariff policy known as "Reciprocal Tariffs" or the Trump tariff. The policy imposes additional duties on imported goods from multiple countries, including several in Asia such as Indonesia.

During the announcement at the White House's Rose Garden on Wednesday afternoon local time, Trump said the United States would apply a minimum 10 percent import tariff on all incoming products.

Furthermore, certain countries will be subject to higher reciprocal tariffs as part of this new policy. The amount of Trump's tariffs on Asian countries varies. Cambodia is the Asian country with the highest tariff. Meanwhile, Singapore is only subject to a 10 percent tariff. Taiwan and Indonesia are both subject to a 32 percent tariff.

Editor's Choice: Trump's Tariffs: Why Indonesia Won't Be Spared

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News

TPNPB-OPM Declares Ready for War Against Indonesian Military

1 jam lalu

Indonesia Joins BRICS; Russian Export Center Exploring Domestic Market

1 jam lalu

Microsoft Delays Data Center Expansion in Indonesia and Other Nations

2 jam lalu

Amnesty International Indonesia Pushes Govt to Suspend All Death Penalty Executions

3 jam lalu

Prabowo Confirms Tempo's Report on His Role as TNI Law Revision Initiator

3 jam lalu

Trump's Tariffs: Why Indonesia Won't Be Spared

3 jam lalu

Inside Diego Garcia: The Remote Island Serving as an American Military Base

3 jam lalu

What is 'Hands Off!', the Movement Protesting Donald Trump's Policies?

4 jam lalu

The Impact of Trump's Tariffs on Developing Countries

4 jam lalu

Moving Forward: NASA Astronauts Embrace Next Starliner Flight Despite Past Hiccups

5 jam lalu