National Police Chief Says Government Diplomacy Successfully Pressures US Import Tariffs
National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo has revealed the success of economic diplomacy conducted by the government amidst escalating global conflict tensions. The National Police Chief stated that diplomatic efforts by President Prabowo Subianto towards the United States have yielded significant results with reduced import tariff barriers for domestic commodities.
The statement was delivered by General Sigit at the TNI-Polri Breaking of the Fast event at Bhayangkara Field, Jakarta, on Wednesday, 11 March 2026. He emphasised that this strategic measure is crucial for maintaining the domestic industrial sector amid global economic downturn.
General Sigit revealed that President Prabowo continues to take proactive steps to reduce trade war tensions. One tangible achievement is the reduction of trade barrier tariffs with the United States, which directly impacts the competitiveness of Indonesian products.
“President Prabowo made efforts to reduce trade barriers with America from 32 per cent to 19 per cent. Even after an American court decision, the figure dropped further to 15 per cent. Alhamdulillah, one major burden has been overcome,” said General Sigit.
Beyond the general tariff reduction, the National Police Chief also highlighted the government’s success in securing a zero per cent export tariff policy for thousands of Indonesia’s leading commodities to international markets. Labour-intensive sectors became the primary focus of this policy.
“He pushed for certain commodity imports to have zero per cent tariffs. This significantly impacts the footwear, furniture, textile, semiconductor industries, and approximately 1,800 other commodities. The hope is that amid difficult global circumstances, our industries remain protected and workers do not need to be laid off,” he explained.
The National Police Chief emphasised that the success of this foreign diplomacy must be accompanied by domestic strengthening through downstream integration programmes. He stated that the current government is pursuing 18 strategic downstream integration plans to create new employment opportunities.
To ensure this major agenda proceeds smoothly, General Sigit invited all TNI-Polri personnel to continue safeguarding and maintaining security stability and investment climate. According to him, international market confidence heavily depends on domestic security conditions.
“Our foundation is security and political stability. TNI-Polri must oversee and secure the government’s strategic programmes so that Indonesia can be self-reliant and stand on its own feet amid global crisis,” concluded the National Police Chief.
The agenda was attended by numerous high-ranking state officials, including Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoedin, Chairman of DPR Commission I Utut Adianto, Special Presidential Adviser on Security and Police Reform (Retired) General Ahmad Dofiri, General Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council Anwar Iskandar, several deputy ministers from the Red and White Cabinet, and senior officials from the National Police Headquarters.
In his remarks, the National Police Chief outlined concerning global conditions due to escalating Middle Eastern conflicts. He highlighted the broadening Israel-America-Iran conflict and its direct impact on global oil price fluctuations.
General Sigit pointed to global oil price surges that briefly exceeded $110 per barrel as a consequence of attacks on energy facilities in the region.
“If this is allowed to continue unchecked and oil prices keep rising, our fiscal capacity to bear fuel subsidies will be severely strained. The consequence could be price spikes and inflation that disrupt development programmes,” said General Sigit.
In response to these challenges, the National Police Chief affirmed that the TNI and Polri have a constitutional duty to oversee the self-reliance programmes launched by President Prabowo. These range from downstream integration in automotive and defence industries to food and renewable energy self-sufficiency.
“The government continues to push for self-reliance so we can stand on our own feet. TNI and Polri must oversee and secure these programmes, including maintaining a conducive investment climate through security and political stability,” he stressed.
General Sigit also delivered a forceful message concerning Indonesia’s long history of national division resulting from divide-and-conquer politics. He reminded that national diversity must be preserved through cohesion of TNI-Polri as the spearhead of security, stability, and welfare systems.
“Our choice is to unite in diversity, or we will become divided and experience decline. Synergy, solidity, and cohesion of TNI-Polri together with society are the key to enabling us to overcome periods of crisis and maintain economic growth,” he added.