Bisnis.com, JAKARTA — Indonesia is actively pursuing a resolution to the looming 32 percent import tariffs set to be imposed by US President Donald Trump starting 1 August 2025.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto confirmed that negotiations between Indonesia and the US remain underway. He recently held discussions with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Airlangga said that officials from the Trump administration indicated Indonesia’s trade proposal is still under review. The government hopes that the offer currently on the table can be finalized within the next three weeks, ahead of the tariff deadline.
“So, these three weeks are expected to finalize the fine-tuning of the proposal and the adjustments to what has been exchanged,” he mentioned on the sidelines of President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to Brussels, Belgium, as quoted by the Sekretariat Presiden YouTube channel on Sunday (13/7/2025).
However, he declined to disclose the specific contents of Indonesia’s proposal aimed at reducing the 32 percent tariff. According to Haryo Limanseto, spokesperson for the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Indonesia is aiming for tariff rates that are equal to or lower than those applied to other ASEAN countries.
State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi voiced optimism on Friday (11/7/2025), stating that Indonesia’s negotiating proposal aligns well with the expectations set by the United States.
“We believe that what has been presented over time in our offer meets the demands and preferences of our US counterparts,” he said.
New Ambassador Indonesia is set to appoint a U.S.-educated technocrat as its next ambassador to Washington, filling a long-vacant post as the country seeks to reset and strengthen trade and investment ties with Washington.
Members of the House of Representatives (DPR) have approved the nomination of Dwisuryo Indroyono Soesilo following a closed-door vetting process, Deputy Speaker Adies Kadir told Bloomberg. Indroyono, a former cabinet minister under President Joko Widodo, is a geologist by training and a seasoned expert in maritime governance.
His nomination is now pending formal approval from President Prabowo Subianto and will also require consent from the U.S. government.
The ambassadorship in Washington has been vacant for two years—a delay that, along with other prolonged diplomatic postings, has drawn criticism from former officials and foreign policy analysts. Many argue the absence has undermined Indonesia’s diplomatic reach at a time of shifting global alignments and mounting economic pressures.
President Prabowo is seeking to deepen ties with countries like China and Russia while simultaneously working to secure a tariff agreement with the US, one of Indonesia’s largest export destinations.
