The atmosphere of container loading and unloading occurs at the Jakarta International Container Terminal (JICT) in Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, on April 10, 2025. Photo by Reuters
Indonesia has proposed increasing its imports of U.S. goods by as much as US$19 billion in an effort to mitigate the impact of tariff policies on its exports.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto on Friday said Indonesia has proposed increasing its imports from the U.S. by as much as $19 billion, to eliminate its trade surplus with Washington.
Earlier, the Indonesian government announced a plan to import up to $10 billion worth of energy products from the U.S. It also plans to buy agricultural products including wheat, soybeans and soybean meal and increase purchases of capital goods from the U.S., Airlangga said.
The Southeast Asian country imports both crude oil and natural gas from the U.S. and will need to reduce imports from other suppliers in order to fulfill its commitment to increase purchases from the U.S.
Indonesia also imported around 300,000 barrels of crude oil per day last year, with Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Angola as the top suppliers, Kpler data showed. Around 13,000 barrels per day (bpd) were imported from the US.
Indonesia imported 217,000 bpd of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) last year, around 124,000 of which came from the US. Around 23,000 bpd were imported from Qatar, while United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia each accounted for around 20,000 bpd.
To accommodate the increased imports from the U.S., Indonesia plans to reduce its reliance on other suppliers. For instance, the country may decrease LPG imports from Middle Eastern countries like Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia by 20-30%, depending on existing contracts.
This fuel is considered a key factor in Jakarta’s strategy to avert the threat of a 32% tariff on its exports, which has contributed to the country’s trade surplus with the U.S.
