Prabowo Says Indonesia and US Choose Deeper Cooperation and Stronger Market Access
President Prabowo Subianto attended the US-Indonesia Business Summit 2026 as part of his working visit to the United States. The forum was organised by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (USCC), the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), and the U.S.-Indonesia Society (USINDO) in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, 18 February 2026 local time.
The meeting was held to demonstrate strong support from the US private sector for the Indonesian Government. President Prabowo was accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/BKPM Rosan Roeslani, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, and the Indonesian Ambassador to Washington D.C.
“This visit to America is to finalise the important Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART), which holds significant meaning for businesses, investors, and supply chains across the Pacific. Indonesia and the US choose deeper economic cooperation, stronger market access, and greater certainty for businesses,” said President Prabowo, as quoted from ekon.go.id on Thursday, 19 February 2026.
President Prabowo’s visit to the United States was for The Inaugural Meeting of the Board of Peace (BOP) as well as the finalisation and signing of the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART).
“As President, my responsibility is very clear. I must ensure stability, predictability, and execution. Without these, confidence weakens, and with them, investment follows. Indonesia’s economic fundamentals are strong,” said President Prabowo before the leaders of the USCC, USABC and USINDO, as well as US companies operating in Indonesia, including Freeport McMoRan, ExxonMobil, PepsiCo, Cargill, and Caterpillar.
On the occasion, Coordinating Minister Airlangga noted that the United States is Indonesia’s key strategic partner in trade and investment. The forum served as an important moment to deepen private sector collaboration between the two nations, particularly in the fields of digital innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, critical minerals, supply chain resilience, and the energy transition.
Coordinating Minister Airlangga affirmed that Indonesia and the United States have completed negotiations on the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) and are currently preparing for the signing and implementation phase. The agreement reflects both nations’ commitment to strengthening market access, simplifying trade barriers, increasing business certainty, and opening broader and more sustainable investment opportunities.
“The completion of the ART is an important milestone achieved through intensive and constructive negotiations between the two countries. This agreement demonstrates Indonesia’s seriousness in creating a business environment that is increasingly open, transparent, and investment-friendly,” said Coordinating Minister Airlangga.
The Business Summit also served as a strategic dialogue forum between the Indonesian Government and leaders of prominent American companies, as well as an occasion for the signing of several memoranda of understanding (MoU) with a total potential value of approximately USD 38.4 billion. These commitments cover the Agriculture Sector (USD 2.5 billion) and the Industrial Sector (USD 35.9 billion), including cooperation in semiconductors and strategic industrial materials.
The presence of President Prabowo and the enthusiastic reception from the US business community (USCC, USABC and USINDO) at the forum reaffirmed Indonesia’s position as a credible and strategic economic partner for the United States, particularly among the business community. Going forward, the synergy between the governments and private sectors of both nations is expected to expand higher-quality investment, deepen integration into global supply chains, and create productive and highly competitive employment.
This increasingly close collaboration forms an important foundation for maintaining economic stability and accelerating structural transformation towards inclusive and sustainable growth.
Also in attendance were Secretary of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Susiwijono Moegiarso, Deputy for Coordination of Economic Cooperation and Investment Edi Prio Pambudi, Deputy for Coordination of Commerce and Digital Economy Ali Murtopo, Deputy for Coordination of Energy and Mineral Resources Elen Setiadi, Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Dwisuryo Indroyono Soesilo, Chairman of KADIN Anindya Bakrie, Chairwoman of APINDO Shinta W. Kamdani, and representatives of business players from various strategic sectors.