Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – Representatives from Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs attended the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Special Meeting, a virtual gathering of ASEAN Trade Ministers held on April 10, 2025. The Indonesian delegation was led by Minister of Trade Budi Santoso and also included officials from the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This special meeting aimed to address the issue of reciprocal tariffs announced by the United States on April 2, 2025, particularly their impact on ASEAN member states, as well as to formulate ASEAN’s collective strategy and response.
“In principle, the meeting agreed that ASEAN should engage in dialogue with the United States to maintain positive relations,” said Susiwijono Moegiarso, Secretary of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, in a press release on Friday (April 11, 2025).
In addition, ASEAN agreed not to retaliate against the United States. The bloc remains committed to deepening regional economic integration, seizing opportunities amidst global challenges, and maintaining a predictable, transparent, non-discriminatory, fair, inclusive, and open regional economic environment that has supported trade growth and regional development.
Several key initiatives were also highlighted:
- First, leveraging the ASEAN-US Trade and Investment Framework (TIFA) and the ASEAN-US Strategic Partnership as platforms to explore shared interests between ASEAN and the United States.
- Second, upholding commitments under existing ASEAN agreements and enhancing intra-ASEAN trade through the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA).
- Third, exploring new trade partners while continuing existing trade relationships with ASEAN’s current partners.
- Fourth, further exploring the potential of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to attract new members, thereby reducing ASEAN’s reliance on any single market and expanding its trade options.
- Fifth, continuing US engagement in trade relations with ASEAN.
A Joint Statement, resulting from prior discussions between Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and the Prime Minister of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, called on Malaysia, as the current ASEAN Chair, to actively engage with the United States.
The AEM Special Meeting also discussed the formation of an ASEAN Geoeconomics Task Force, and there are plans to convene a Virtual ASEAN Summit to follow up on the outcomes of this special meeting.
