Indonesia May Scrap US Energy Imports if Tariffs Stay, Minister Says
Indonesia may cancel plans to import energy commodities from the United States if Washington refuses to lower tariffs on Indonesian goods, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said, adding that the final decision will depend on the outcome of negotiations led by the coordinating minister.
“If there’s no agreement, then there’s no deal. We’ll wait for the official decision from the chief economic minister,” Bahlil told reporters at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Monday. Talks on the potential imports remain uncertain after the US decided to impose a 32 percent tariff on Indonesian imports starting August 1. Indonesia had earlier proposed increasing trade volumes with the US, including oil and gas commodities, in hopes of securing tariff relief. Bahlil said discussions on the import plans are on hold while the government waits for the outcome of negotiations led by Chief Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto. “I don’t have the latest update yet because the one authorized to speak on this is the chief minister as the head of the negotiation team,” Bahlil said.
Indonesia has submitted several proposals during the tariff talks, including measures to help reduce the US trade deficit with Indonesia. The government is aiming to increase imports from the US to $34 billion, with about $15 billion set aside for energy commodities. “We at the Energy Ministry have allocated around $10-15 billion to purchase from the U.S., but only if the tariffs are lowered,” Bahlil said.
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