Indonesian President, Prabowo Subianto has welcomed US President, Donald Trump’s move to slash tariffs for Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.
Subianto’s remarks came after Trump said that he had sealed a trade deal with Jakarta under which his tariff rate would fall from 32 percent to 19 percent. “I had a very good call with President Donald Trump,” the Indonesian President said in a post on Instagram on.
“Together, we agreed and concluded to take trade relations between Indonesia and the United States into a new era of mutual benefit between our two great nations. President Trump extends his warm regards to the people of Indonesia.”
Prabowo Subianto
Prabowo’s presidential Spokesman, Hasan Nasbi, told a news conference that the agreement was the culmination of an “extraordinary effort” by Indonesia’s negotiating team.
“So if we use an analogy, there is a house that built a fence, and the fence was initially 32 for us. After negotiations, the fence could be lowered to 19.
“Yes, of course, this is progress that cannot be called small progress, nor can it be considered a minor achievement.”
Hasan Nasbi
Nasbi declined to elaborate on the details of the agreement beyond the lower tariff rate, saying that Prabowo would provide more information.
In his initial announcement of the deal on Truth Social, Trump said that Indonesia had agreed to buy $15bn of US energy exports, $4.5bn of US agricultural products, and 50 Boeing jets.
Trump said later on that US exporters would have “full access to everything” and pay no tariffs.
Indonesian President Defends Deal To Purchase Aircraft
President Prabowo Subianto defended the deal reached with Trump to lower the import tariffs from 32 percent to 19 percent, which included buying 50 Boeing jets.
According to him, there’s nothing wrong with purchasing aircraft for Indonesian airlines.
“I believe there is no problem because we need the aircraft, and they want to sell. Boeing planes are also quite good. There, two interests meet halfway.”
Prabowo Subianto
Speaking at the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, East Jakarta, Prabowo refered to Garuda Indonesia as the nation’s pride, as the airline was born during Indonesia’s struggle for independence and became the nation’s symbol. “I am determined to make Garuda Indonesia bigger, and yes, we need new airplanes for that,” Prabowo said.
Citing the Pima Air and Space Museum, the Boeing 777 is the world’s largest twin-engine long-range aircraft. This aircraft has a capacity of between 314 and 396 passengers, two crew members, and up to thirteen flight attendants.
The Boeing 777 was the first commercial airliner designed using computer-aided design tools. As of 2018, the Boeing 777 had been ordered for a total of 1,988 by airlines worldwide.
This number makes the 777 the most successful twin-engine long-haul aircraft ever, surpassing the number of orders for the previous-generation Boeing 747.
Prabowo further stated that Indonesia still relies on imports from the United States for various products, including fuel, gas, wheat, and soybeans. “In the end, it’s a convergence of interests… Eventually, we reached a common ground,” he added.
Also, the Indonesian President said that Trump had invited him for a meeting in the US around September or October 2025.
The invitation came during discussions over import tariffs. At the time, the two leaders had a phone call on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.
Additionally, Prabowo described the US President as a “tough negotiator” during discussions about import tariffs. Prabowo shared this impression after a phone conversation with Trump.
Prabowo stated that the import tariff negotiations with Trump were challenging. Ultimately, both leaders understood each other’s interests and reached an agreement.
Even though Trump lowered Indonesia’s import tariffs from 32 percent to 19 percent, Prabowo continued to push for more favorable terms.
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