NOTICE: Open Forum – Managing Uncertainty: Assessing U.S. – Indonesia Trade Developments on March 19, 2026
Open Forum
Managing Uncertainty:
Assessing U.S. – Indonesia Trade Developments
Thursday, March 19th
9:00 a.m. EDT
8:00 p.m. WIB
Online via Zoom
Dr. Edi Prio Pambudi
Deputy Minister for Coordinating International Economic
Cooperation at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs
William Reinsch
Scholl Chair in International Business at the
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Ambassador Brian D. McFeeters (ret.)
Interim CEO and President, US-ASEAN Business Council
Moderated By:
Ambassador David Merrill, USINDO President
The U.S.-Indonesia trade relationship has been changing rapidly. President Trump announced a broad set of “Liberation Day" import duties in April 2025, including a 32% tariff on Indonesia. The U.S. and Indonesia informally agreed on a new trade framework in July 2025, which became codified in the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART).
The ART eliminates tariffs on U.S. goods, reduces tariffs on Indonesian goods to 19%, eliminates tariffs on over 1800 Indonesian commodities, removes some import restrictions, and includes commitments to purchase billions of dollars' worth of U.S. energy, agriculture, and aircraft. However, the day after the ART’s signing, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the administration's justification for imposing tariffs. In response, President Trump imposed a blanket 10% tariff, quickly raised to 15%, on all countries, including Indonesia.
The current situation calls for deeper public understanding. Our Open Forum will review the evolving impact of these recent developments and how American and Indonesian businesses are navigating trade turbulence and managing uncertainty. Experts will describe the pressing questions that these developments have raised. What is the current situation for both countries? How does each country perceive its trade, tariff, and investment strategy from this point forward?
We are fortunate to have an excellent panel to inform us on these issues and take our questions.
Dr. Edi Prio Pambudi, Deputy Minister for Coordinating International Economic Cooperation at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, and senior member of the GOI's ART negotiating team, will discuss the Indonesian government's negotiation of the ART and current trade dynamics with the U.S.
William Reinsch, senior adviser, distinguished trade expert, and Scholl Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC, will share insights on trade developments and analyze the broader implications of trade relations between the two countries.
Ambassador Brian D. McFeeters, interim President and CEO of the US-ASEAN Business Council, will share perspectives from U.S. business partners operating in Indonesia on fluctuating trade relations and the impact of non-tariff barriers to trade.
Following that, we will take questions from the online audience.
Please join us for this timely and informative USINDO Open Forum discussion.
Full Biography of Speakers:
Dr. Edi Prio Pambudi has served as Deputy Minister for Coordinating International Economic Cooperation at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs since 2021 and serves as Co-Sherpa G20 Indonesia as well as Chair for High Level Task Force-Economic Integrity (HLTF-EI), a think-tank forum for the leaders of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Council. Edi has worked as Expert Staff for Connectivity, Service Development and Natural Resources, Expert Staff for Economic Relations and Maritime Affairs, Assistant to Deputy Minister for Monetary Affairs and Balance of Payments, Head of Monetary Sector, and Head of Monetary Policy Analysis at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs. Previously, Dr. Edi served at the Directorate General of Taxes, Ministry of Finance until 2009. Dr. Edi earned his Doctor of Economics degree from the University of Indonesia, Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Colorado, and Bachelor of Economics from the University of Jember, Indonesia. Edi received Satyalancana Karya Satya X award (2008) and Satyalancana Karya Satya XX (2016) from the President of the Republic of Indonesia for his service to Indonesia as a civil servant.
William Reinsch is senior adviser and Scholl Chair emeritus with the Economics Program and Scholl Chair in International Business at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Previously, he was a senior advisor at the law firm of Kelley, Drye & Warren and served for 15 years as president of the National Foreign Trade Council, which represents multinational companies on international trade and tax policy issues. From 2001 to 2016, he concurrently served as a member of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. He also served as the undersecretary of commerce for export administration. Prior to that, he spent 20 years on Capitol Hill, most of them as senior legislative assistant to the late senator John Heinz (R-PA) and subsequently to Senator John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV). He holds a BA and an MA in international relations from the Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies respectively.
Ambassador Brian D. McFeeters (ret.) is the Interim CEO and President of the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC). He joined USABC in October 2023 as the Senior Vice President & Regional Managing Director. During his previous Department of State career, Ambassador McFeeters made valuable contributions to diplomatic missions worldwide, serving in critical positions including Deputy Chief of Mission in Indonesia, U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia, and Deputy Director of the Office of Maritime Southeast Asian. He advanced U.S. business interests multilaterally at the U.S. Missions to the European Union, in Brussels, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, in Paris. He earned his Master's degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
The event will be held online via Zoom.
To register, please click here.
If you face any technical difficulties with the link above, you can also register by sending an email to mkoskinen@usindo.org.
The United States-Indonesia Society's mission is strengthening mutual understanding between the United States and Indonesia, enhancing the bilateral relationship, and deepening the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. We implement our mission through public discussions in each country and long-term bi-national programs in the education, legislative, and other sectors.
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