Indonesia Will Not Beg for Trade Deals, Anindya Bakrie Says
- VIVA.co.id/Mohammad Yudha Prasetya
Jakarta, VIVA – The Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Anindya Bakrie, expressed confidence that the government will continue to protect domestic industries amid ongoing trade negotiations between Indonesia and the United States aimed at balancing the trade deficit between the two countries.
"Indonesia has a choice. If the demands are reasonable and worth fulfilling, the government will consider them — as long as they still protect our local industries," he said on Wednesday (May 28).
[Ketua Umum Kadin Indonesia, Anindya Bakrie, di acara Indonesia Maritime Week (IMW) 2025 di JCC Senayan, Jakarta Pusat, Rabu, 28 Mei 2025]
- VIVA.co.id/Mohammad Yudha Prasetya
Bakrie emphasized that negotiations with the US government fall under the authority of the government.
However, he believes Indonesia will not "beg" for trade transactions with the US.
"I just want to say that negotiations are clearly not within Kadin's domain — that’s the government’s responsibility. But I don't believe Indonesia is in a position to beg for any trade deals. We’re also engaging in major trade with other countries," Bakrie stated.
That said, the Kadin chairman acknowledged that any resulting trade deals from these Indonesia-US negotiations would certainly benefit Indonesia.
Moreover, he pointed out the potential for increased trade volume between the two nations in the near future — potentially doubling within the next 3 to 5 years.
"If we can secure a trade deal, that’s great. Because the trade volume might not only stay the same, it could even double in 3 to 5 years," Bakrie concluded.
