Jakarta — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto emphasized that protecting domestic industrial workers remains the government’s top priority in its trade negotiations with the United States over import tariffs.
“My people come first. I must protect our workers,” Prabowo said during a press briefing at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta on Wednesday (July 16).
“What matters most to me is ensuring our workers are safe,” he added.
Despite the uncertainty in global trade, Prabowo expressed confidence in the strength and resilience of Indonesia’s economy.
“I’m very optimistic. Our economy is in a strong position—it’s doing well. So whatever happens, we’ll remain strong,” he said.
Prabowo also underscored that the government had thoroughly assessed every aspect of the tariff negotiations, which resulted in a reduction from 32% to 19%.
“We’ve run all the numbers. We’ve negotiated every step of the way,” he said.
