Bringing Freeport Boss and Kadin Chief Along, Prabowo Meets American Business Leaders
President Prabowo Subianto commenced his official agenda in Washington DC, United States, on Wednesday (18/2/2026) local time, by meeting the US Chamber of Commerce (USCC), the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), and the US-Indonesia Society (USINDO), together with several Red and White Cabinet ministers and representatives from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).
The meeting, dubbed the “Business Summit in Honour of H.E. Prabowo Subianto, President of the Republic of Indonesia”, was held ahead of the ceremonial signing of the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART), which was also a key item on President Prabowo’s Washington DC itinerary.
President Prabowo arrived at the US Chamber of Commerce building at approximately 4.49 pm local time, accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, Investment and Downstream Processing Minister/BKPM Head and Danantara CEO Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, Danantara CIO Pandu Sjahrir, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, and Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Dwisuryo Indroyono Soesilo.
From the business community, those in attendance included Kadin Indonesia Chairman Anindya Novyan Bakrie, Pertamina President Director Simon Aloysius Mantiri, PT Freeport Indonesia President Director Tony Wenas, and Chairman of the Board of Freeport-McMoRan Inc Richard C. Adkerson.
On the same occasion, Anindya explained that all the US business communities met by President Prabowo were partners of Kadin Indonesia. He said the ART agreement would create numerous opportunities for Indonesian exporters, particularly in the footwear, textile, garment, and electronics sectors, as well as for American businesses in cotton, wheat, and soybean. Furthermore, the meeting served as a moment to consider investments that could be brought to Indonesia to boost employment.
During the Business Summit, President Prabowo stated: “We are open, we need investment, and we want more investment, and we believe we are competitive, we are attractive, and we have abundant mineral reserves needed for the production of new technologies.”
In the meeting, which was also attended by representatives from Kadin Indonesia and several ministers as well as state-owned enterprise executives, President Prabowo revealed a number of priority programmes currently being implemented by the government, particularly 18 downstream processing projects.
PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) President Director Tony Wenas disclosed that the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the extension of the Special Mining Business Licence (IUPK) had been carried out on 18 February 2026 in Washington DC, witnessed directly by President Prabowo Subianto. The MoU was signed by representatives of the Indonesian Government, Freeport-McMoRan Inc., and PT Freeport Indonesia.
President Prabowo and President Trump were also scheduled to sign a reciprocal trade agreement document, which would include tariff provisions, during their bilateral meeting in Washington DC.