Jakarta \u2014 Trade Minister Budi Santoso has confirmed that imports of\nagricultural products from the United States receiving zero per cent\ntariffs will not disrupt the sustainability of domestic industry.<\/p>\n
Budi stated that agricultural commodities such as soybeans, wheat,\nand cotton are products needed by industry and are not produced\ndomestically.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are mostly things we need because they are largely raw\nmaterials. We also need soybeans \u2014 our largest imports come from\nAmerica,\u201d Budi said in Jakarta on Friday, 20 February 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we don\u2019t facilitate this, it would actually make things harder\nfor our industry,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Budi explained that with zero per cent tariffs, national industry\nwould benefit from easier imports and lower production costs. He noted\nthat if raw materials can be obtained cheaply, the prices of finished\nproducts can also become more affordable for the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way to make things cheaper is to make it easier, so we don\u2019t end\nup buying at high prices. If we buy at high prices, then food prices\nwill also be expensive,\u201d Budi said.<\/p>\n
He added that commodities such as wheat and soybeans are vital for\nthe food and beverage industry. According to him, this policy represents\na rational step in safeguarding raw material supply, price stability,\nand the sustainability of national industry.<\/p>\n
Under the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART), the reciprocal tariff\narrangement between Indonesia and the United States, Indonesia has\ngranted zero per cent tariff facilities for a number of agricultural\ncommodities including soybeans and wheat from the US.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said\nthe policy aims to protect public purchasing power. Soybean and wheat\nderivative products such as tofu, tempeh, and instant noodles will not\nbe subject to additional cost burdens.<\/p>\n
The principal impact of this agreement is the stabilisation of staple\nfood prices based on imports. Indonesia does not produce soybeans in\nsufficient quantities to meet the needs of the national food\nindustry.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/trade-minister-assures-zero-tariff-us-product-imports-will-not-harm-domestic-industry-1771665889", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }