Prabowo Seeks Talks with Trump

April 11, 2025 | 02:20 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono revealed that President Prabowo Subianto had requested a meeting with United States President Donald Trump. The meeting request was made before Trump decided to raise import tariffs.

"We have already requested a meeting with President Trump some time before the (planned increase of) tariffs (on U.S. imports). And of course, concerning the bilateral relationship between the two countries," Sugiono said in Turkey, monitored via the YouTube channel of the Presidential Secretariat on Friday, April 11, 2025.

So far, the government is still awaiting a response from Trump. Sugiono stated that the planned meeting is intended to discuss several issues. There is a possibility that Trump's increase in import tariffs will also be on the table. "Yes, with these developments, I think (the increase in U.S. imports) will also be discussed. We will see later," said Sugiono.

As is known, on April 2, 2025, Trump announced that the United States would impose a 10 percent import tariff on products from all countries around the world entering America, which would take effect on April 5, 2025.

Additionally, America imposed additional tariffs, known as reciprocal tariffs, for countries experiencing trade surpluses with the U.S., while America experiences deficits with those countries. The reciprocal tariffs came into effect on April 9, 2025. Indonesia was subjected to a 32 percent tariff, while China received 34 percent.

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto revealed that the government is currently considering a policy package to offer to President Donald Trump. He said President Prabowo chose negotiation over retaliatory tariff measures in response to Trump's import tariffs.

"Bapak Presiden's instructions to respond to this matter have been discussed several times, and even in meetings, Indonesia has chosen the negotiation path, as America is a strategic partner," Airlangga said at the Economic Forum in Jakarta on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, as seen on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube account.

Airlangga stated that the Indonesian government is open to increasing the volume of certain imported commodities from the United States to achieve a trade balance. Following Prabowo's instructions, Indonesia will increase imports, especially agricultural products.

"Agricultural products that we do not have, such as soybeans and wheat from agricultural producing countries, coincidentally, this region is the constituency of the Republican Party. Then, also purchases of engineering products," said Airlangga.

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