Prabowo Sends Airlangga, Sri Mulyani, and Sugiono to Negotiate Trump Tariffs

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - President Prabowo Subianto assigned Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono to the United States to negotiate the reciprocal tariffs recently implemented by U.S. President Donald Trump.

"President assigned me, the Foreign Minister, and the Minister of Finance," said Airlangga after a closed meeting with President Prabowo at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Monday (7/4/2024) from noon until evening.

In information received by Kompas, Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Airlangga Hartarto are considered to have good relations with stakeholders in the US. Therefore, both of them are at the forefront in responding to Trump's tariffs.

As for the meeting with the Minister of Trade and the US Trade Representative, according to Airlangga, it follows the schedule they provided.

Indonesia's stance on Trump's policy, continued Airlangga, has already been discussed. An official letter outlining Indonesia's position on Trump's tariffs will be issued on April 9. "On the ninth (of April), we will present our position," said Airlangga after the meeting to reporters.

President Prabowo is also said to directly address Indonesia's measures in responding to Trump's tariff policy during the Economic Gathering with the President of the Republic of Indonesia themed "Strengthening National Economic Resilience," organized by the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs in Jakarta, Tuesday (8/4/2025).

The meeting will also be attended by investors, economists and other stakeholders, including editors-in-chief.

President Prabowo, in an interview with several editors-in-chief of national mass media at his private residence in Hambalang, Bogor Regency, on Sunday (6/4/2025), also stated that he would send Airlangga to Washington DC. Indonesia itself has not yet appointed an Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to serve in the United States.

In the interview, President Prabowo also conveyed the need to expand export markets in the face of Trump's tariffs.

He also encouraged entrepreneurs to be brave enough to open new export markets, even though some had already done so.

"Our entrepreneurs must also, in other words, have long-term planning and not rely on just one comfortable market. Right? We must be brave. Why don't we go to Africa? Africa is the new emerging market of the world. Africa, you know. Its population is large. It has abundant resources. Its needs are vast," he stated in the interview titled "President Prabowo Answers."

In addition, the President also mentioned that the domestic market is very large. With a population of nearly 300 million people, the consumption of Indonesian citizens is substantial and can serve as an opportunity for Indonesian entrepreneurs.

On the other hand, President Prabowo observed that Trump's tariffs also made all countries more united and willing to cooperate more intensively.

The reciprocal tariff policy was decided by U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening (2/4/2025) local time. Indonesian products were subjected to a 32 percent tariff as a result of this policy.

Therefore, the export of Indonesian products that are widely shipped to the U.S., such as electronics, footwear products, garments, and textiles, is expected to decline. Yet, these industries are among the labor-intensive sectors in Indonesia.