Heaptalk, Jakarta — As part of tariff negotiations, the Ministry of Trade is refining a plan to redirect import quotas for certain commodities to the United States (US). Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono, Director General of International Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Trade, stated that the ministry is still discussing the detailed mechanism for the quota redirection, including the possibility of increasing import quotas for specific commodities.
“We’ll have to wait and see how it will be implemented, as it still needs further discussion between the Indonesian government and the US,” Djatmiko told reporters in Jakarta on Monday (04/21).
He explained that the Indonesian delegation, alongside representatives from the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), is conducting the discussions with a 90-day deadline. However, he emphasized that the ministry cannot yet provide specifics on the import redirection plan.
Furthermore, Djatmiko noted that Indonesia’s oil and gas imports from the US are projected to quadruple compared to last year’s figures, reaching around US$10 billion. This move appears to be driven by efforts to balance Indonesia’s trade surplus with the US, which stood at US$14.6 billion in 2024.
“Over the past decade, Indonesia’s oil and gas imports from the US have risen significantly, though the figures remained well below US$10 billion. According to Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data, in 2016, oil and gas imports from the US were only around US$91.9 million, but this number steadily climbed to US$2.57 billion in 2021,” he said.
Last year, Indonesia’s oil and gas imports from the US were recorded at US$2.49 billion. With the planned increase to US$10 billion, the government aims to nearly quadruple its oil and gas imports from the US compared to 2024.
