Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has stressed that import quotas for commodities or raw materials must not be discriminatory or serve the interests of only a handful of large companies.

“They set up these quotas, and then only companies A, B, C, and D are appointed. Only they’re allowed to import? That’s outrageous,” he said during an economic forum with the President of Indonesia in Jakarta, Tuesday (April 8).

Prabowo has instructed government officials to eliminate import quota mechanisms that hinder the country’s trade balance. His remarks came in response to concerns raised by members of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), who are seeking to rebalance trade relations with the United States following the reciprocal tariffs imposed during Donald Trump’s presidency.

“When the Coordinating Minister gathered us to discuss how to respond to the impact of the U.S. reciprocal tariffs, we immediately contacted our partners in the U.S. to understand the situation,” said Shinta Kamdani, Chairwoman of Apindo. “The U.S. clearly wants to reduce its trade deficit. They’re asking, ‘How much can you import, and when?’ That’s part of our job. We’re talking about commodities like cotton and corn.”

“We’re asking for these imports to go directly to the industries, not through third parties. That would cut the root of the problem,” she added.