U.S. and Indonesia Working Toward FTA Negotiations

U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Rob Portman met with Indonesia’s Minister of Trade Mari Pangestu on April 4 to discuss how to broaden and deepen economic relations. A free trade agreement (FTA) now appears to be a serious consideration for both the U.S. and Indonesia. “It is our hope that through all of these bilateral, cooperative efforts, we will be putting in place building blocks that will allow us in the future to consider even deepening our ties with Indonesia through a free trade agreement,” Portman said. He pointed out that the U.S. had engaged in a “considerable amount of discussion” with Korea and Malaysia before launching FTA talks with those countries, and said “that’s what we are doing now” with Indonesia.