"If our practices deviate from the deal, the agreement may change again. Therefore, we must ensure that our actions align with the agreement we signed with the United States," Santoso stated.
The US government recently announced a decision to cut import tariffs on Indonesian goods from 32 percent to 19 percent.
The move has raised concerns that Indonesia could become a transshipment hub for countries facing higher US tariffs.
Santoso emphasized that transshipment is not an acceptable trade practice and was one of the key issues addressed in the tariff negotiations with the US.
He warned that, as in Vietnam's case, goods transshipped from Indonesia could be subject to double tariffs.
"For example, if Vietnam's tariff is 20 percent, then goods transshipped from Vietnam via Indonesia may face a 40-percent tariff," he explained.
US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that all Indonesian exports to the US will now face a 19-percent tariff, under a deal reached during direct talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
"Indonesia will pay the United States a 19% Tariff on all Goods they export to us (sic)," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He added that Indonesia agreed to apply the same 19-percent tariff to any transshipped goods coming from countries with higher tariff rates.
Trump also revealed that Indonesia has agreed to purchase US$15 billion worth of energy products and US$4.5 billion in agricultural goods from the US.
Additionally, Indonesia is planning to buy 50 Boeing aircraft — mostly Boeing 777 passenger jets — although Trump did not specify which Indonesian buyers would be involved in the purchase.
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Translator: Maria Cicilia G, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Anton Santoso
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