March 18, 2026 | 10:26 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia is preparing its response to a potential investigation by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) over alleged “unfair trade practices” and forced labor, with the government coordinating across ministries and stakeholders to build its case, an official said.
“The Indonesian government is committed to addressing all aspects of the probe properly. This matter has already been discussed under our Agreement on Reciprocal Trade, and we are preparing cases to show that Indonesia has implemented or fulfilled the conditions required,” Haryo Limanseto, spokesperson for the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, said on Wednesday.
He said the ministry is consolidating with relevant government agencies and business groups to ensure that all inputs are aligned and to strengthen Indonesia’s position that it has complied with its trade commitments.
Haryo also said the government plans to establish a special cross-sector coordination team to follow up on the USTR probe, prepare Indonesia’s case, and organize consultations with the U.S. agency.
"We expect the consultation will move promptly, and we will present our case that Indonesia is implementing the established regulation," Limanseto said.
He added that Indonesia aims to demonstrate to the USTR that it complies with international trade rules, has measures in place to address anti-dumping, countervailing duties, and forced labor, and has sufficient legal mechanisms to handle violations.
The U.S. administration on March 11 launched trade investigations into what it described as unfair practices by Indonesia, China, Japan, and more than a dozen other economies.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the investigations, conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, are intended to examine "a variety of unfair trading practices related to excess capacity and production in manufacturing."
The move is widely seen as a replacement for the U.S. administration’s broad tariff regime, which was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court last month.
Read: Analyst Questions U.S. Trade Probe Into Indonesia Under Section 301
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