Indonesia Seeks Exemption from mexico’s Proposed Tariffs

Trade Minister Budi Santoso says Jakarta is working to secure a bilateral trade agreement to exempt Indonesia from Mexico‘s planned tariffs. The move follows reports that Mexico intends to impose duties of up to 50 percent on imports from several Asian countries, including Indonesia, starting in 2026.

“there has been no imposition [of new tariffs] yet, but we want Indonesia to be exempted [once the tariffs are implemented],” Budi saeid on Monday after the I-EAEU FTA Strategic Forum in Jakarta, as reported by Bisnis.

He revealed that negotiations on a bilateral trade pact with Mexico had been underway before the tariff proposal surfaced, and that his office was now pushing to expedite the process.

When asked what form an agreement may take, Budi indicated a preference to model it after the Indonesia-Peru Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IP-CEPA), which was concluded swiftly. Such a deal, he noted, coudl include