TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia described U.S. President Donald Trump’s newly announced import tariffs as a routine occurrence in global economic dynamics. He noted that trade tensions stemming from such policies are not unusual.
"Yes, there is a trade war going on, but it shouldn’t be seen as something overly shocking. It's part of global economic shifts, a dynamics," Bahlil said during an interview at his office on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
Still, Bahlil emphasized that the Indonesian government is not standing idle in the face of these developments. Among the steps being taken is maximizing oil and gas production to strengthen the economy.
"From the energy side, what we need to do is optimize the lifting. President Prabowo's directive is that we need to pay attention to the domestic economy and stand on our own feet," he said.
The General Chairperson of the Golkar Party mentioned that this trade war situation should be used as a momentum for Indonesia. Especially by increasing the downstreaming that the government has been promoting.
"And there should be comprehensive steps to create added value through downstreaming, industrialization," he said.
Bahlil stated that President Prabowo has also prioritized the import of energy sectors from the United States. Especially in the energy sector, he said, currently 54 percent of Indonesia's LPG imports depend on that Uncle Sam country.
“We’re aware that our oil imports are quite significant. That’s why we’re now exploring the possibility of making it one of the commodities we can source from the U.S.,” said Minister Bahlil Lahadalia.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed import tariffs on nearly all of America’s trading partners. The policy aims to reduce the U.S. trade deficit, which is seen as harmful to its domestic economy.
As a result, countries with a trade surplus against the U.S. are now required to “pay more.” A baseline tariff of 10 percent was introduced, with higher rates applied to around 60 countries deemed to have the "most unfair" trade practices with the U.S.
Indonesia, which had a non-oil trade surplus with the U.S. of U$16.08 billion in 2024, was subjected to a reciprocal tariff of 32 percent, ranking eighth highest.
Trump's 32 percent tariff ranks as one of the highest in Southeast Asia, affecting various main export sectors: garments, electrical equipment, footwear, and vegetable oil.
Ilona Estherina contributed to the writing of this article.
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