Indonesia’s exports to US and China keep rising amid trade war

Tangerang (ANTARA) – Trade Minister Budi Santoso stated that Indonesian exports to the United States (US) and China continue to show a positive trend despite the ongoing trade war between the two countries.

“If we look at the numbers, there’s no problem. Our exports are actually continuing to increase. Our highest surplus is with the US, and our exports to China are also rising,” he said here on Wednesday.

He emphasized that to maintain foreign trade, Indonesia needs to increase the competitiveness of its exported products.

“Any product that meets high standards and quality will be able to compete in the global market,” he said.

“In principle, we want to export any product, including those produced through the Export Village program. Unfortunately, many of these products are not yet standardized. Once standardized, they can be included in the MSMEs Can Export program,” he added.

Based on data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) for January–August 2025, the value of non-oil and gas exports to China reached US$40.44 billion, an increase of 8.68 percent compared to the same period last year. Exports to the US totaled US$20.60 billion, while exports to India were US$12.59 billion.

The three largest contributors to the cumulative trade balance surplus in the same period were the United States (US$12.20 billion), India (US$9.43 billion), and the Philippines (US$5.85 billion).

The countries contributing the deepest deficits were China (US$13.09 billion), Singapore (US$3.55 billion), and Australia (US$3.49 billion).

Responding to US President Donald Trump’s threats to impose new tariffs of up to 100 percent on Chinese goods and restrict exports of “critical software,” China’s Foreign Ministry rejected such restrictions and sanctions.

Tensions between the US and China escalated after China announced restrictions on rare earth element exports on Thursday (September 10), expanding controls on processing and manufacturing technology.

The policy also prohibits cooperation with foreign companies without prior government permission.

In retaliation, US President Donald Trump called China “very hostile” on Friday (October 10), accusing the country of holding the US and the rest of the world “hostage” through its sudden export tightening policy.

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