Indonesia to fight for zero tariffs on palm oil in US trade talks
Indonesia’s chief negotiator Airlangga Hartarto said that he would fight for tariff cuts on palm oil during round of trade talks with US
JAKARTA, Indonesia (MNTV) – Indonesia’s chief negotiator Airlangga Hartarto has said that he would fight for tariff cuts on palm oil in an upcoming round of trade talks with U.S. officials, as Washington has already rolled back on its cocoa import tax, reports Jakarta Globe.
Senior minister Airlangga has reconfirmed his plans to meet U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington later this week.
Speaking to the Jakarta-based press, Airlangga admitted that he would be the only Indonesian minister participating in the discussions.
He went on to say that Jakarta would pursue zero tariffs on palm oil — something that Malaysia already got in a trade deal struck in October.
“The tariff [reductions] on our palm oil are indeed something that we will discuss. Malaysia already has it. The U.S. already has an executive order [that frees] cocoa [from the reciprocal tariffs]. But the [import tax] on palm oil needs to be discussed bilaterally,” Airlangga said.
Indonesia is the world’s largest supplier of palm oil alongside Malaysia. The Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki) reported that Jakarta had a huge lead in U.S.-bound exports compared to Kuala Lumpur.
Between January and October 2025, Indonesia exported nearly $1.8 billion worth of animal or vegetable fats and oils, according to the Trade Ministry. Palm oil falls within this sub-category.
Trump’s 19 percent tariffs on Indonesian goods officially entered into force in August, although the rate was lower than the 32 pc tax that Trump had originally intended.
Airlangga revealed that the upcoming discussions would not revolve around tariffs on footwear and textiles — despite being Jakarta’s main exports to the U.S.
“The tariffs [on footwear and textiles] will remain the same at 19 pc,” Airlangga said.
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