August 15, 2025 | 09:20 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tempo English compiled the top 3 news on Friday, August 15, 2025. Here are the highlights: Indonesia Seeks Zero-Percent Tariffs for Key Exports to the U.S.; South Korea's Top Court Rejects 'Baby Shark' Copyright Claim; and Indonesia's Instant Noodles Export to Canada Seeing 75% Surge in 2024.
The following is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today:
1. Indonesia Seeks Zero-Percent Tariffs for Key Exports to the U.S.
The Indonesian government is in ongoing tariff negotiations with the United States, targeting zero-percent tariffs for several key export commodities. This initiative would allow certain Indonesian products to enter the U.S. market duty-free. The official list of these commodities has been submitted to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).
"We have submitted a list of commodity programs, including cocoa, coffee, palm oil, and mineral products," said Susiwijono Moegiarso, Secretary to the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, at Lippo Mall Nusantara in Jakarta on Thursday, August 14, 2024.
According to Susiwijono, the government is strategically proposing commodities that are not produced in the U.S. but have significant export potential for Indonesia.
This effort is considered vital, as the 19 percent reciprocal tariff, which applies to 90 percent of Indonesian commodities, does not always translate into substantial exports to the U.S.
2. South Korea's Top Court Rejects 'Baby Shark' Copyright Claim
South Korea's Supreme Court has dismissed a 30 million won (about $21,600 or €18,454) copyright claim over the viral children's song "Baby Shark."
U.S. composer Jonathan Wright claimed the 2015 hit "Baby Shark" by South Korean education startup SmartStudy, now known as The Pinkfong Company, copied a song he released in 2011.
But the court ruled Thursday, August 14, 2025, that Wright's rendition wasn't original enough to qualify for protection, upholding earlier decisions.
Pinkfong's "Baby Shark" exploded globally after its 2015 release and now has more than 16 billion views on YouTube.
Wright, known as Johnny Only, recorded his version in 2011, four years before Pinkfong's version.
3. Indonesia's Instant Noodles Export to Canada Seeing 75% Surge in 2024
Indonesia is seeing about a 75.12 percent surge in instant noodle exports to Canada in 2024, with US$4.94 million in 2024, compared to US$2.82 million the previous year.
"The surge demonstrates the high competitiveness of this product in the Canadian market. The Indonesian Embassy strives to capitalize on this momentum through expansion programs and support for direct promotion activities such as the Nai Nai Noodle Pop-Up Store," said Mahdewi Silky, the Trade Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Ottawa, in a press release on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, as quoted from Antara.
Silky conveyed the figures after visiting the Nai Nai Noodle—Indonesian Food Pop-Up Store at the Toronto Market Week 2025 with Ambassador Mushin Syihab in Square One Shopping Center, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, on Sunday, August 10, 2025.
At the pop-up store, Nai-Nai Noodle sells various popular products from Indonesia, especially instant noodles and chips, bringing Indonesian cuisine closer to the Canadian community.
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The United States' reciprocal 19 percent tariff on Indonesian products is set to take effect on August 7, 2025.
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South Korean company Pinkfong's "Baby Shark" exploded globally after its 2015 release.
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Sales of instant noodles from Indonesia to Canada have increased by up to 75 percent.
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