Jakarta — President Prabowo Subianto revealed that he had held direct talks with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding trade tariffs, describing the negotiations as tough but ultimately successful.
“I spoke with President Donald Trump. Thank God, although the negotiations were tough, we reached an agreement,” Prabowo said on Wednesday (July 16) at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta.
According to Prabowo, both sides demonstrated mutual understanding of each other’s national interests during the discussions.
As a result of the negotiations, the United States agreed to lower import tariffs on Indonesian goods—from 32% down to 19%.
“The tariff was reduced from 32% to 19%. I kept negotiating—I told him, he’s quite a tough negotiator,” Prabowo remarked.
He emphasized that the entire process was carefully calculated by the Indonesian government, with a strong focus on protecting the interests of the public and domestic workers.
“We crunched the numbers and negotiated every step of the way. For me, what matters most is my people. I must protect our workers.”
“We’ve taken a firm stance. This is our offer—we can’t go beyond that. But what’s important is that our workers remain secure,” he added.
During the same briefing, Prabowo also expressed confidence in Indonesia’s economic resilience amid global uncertainties.
“I’m very optimistic. Our economy is strong, in good shape. So whatever happens, we’ll stay strong,” he said.
Prabowo went on to share plans for an upcoming visit to the United States, with a potential meeting with President Trump expected later this year.
“Probably around September or October,” he said.
However, the president added a light-hearted note, joking about what might be on the agenda—particularly if it includes a round of golf with Trump.
“But I’m a bit nervous if he invites me to play golf,” Prabowo quipped.
