Indonesian Businesswoman Sees Trump’s Leadership Style as ‘Transactional’

Jakarta.  Republican presumptive presidential candidate Donald Trump could return to the presidency, and for Indonesian businesswoman Shinta Kamdani, a Trump White House would bring familiar foreign policies.

Shinta, the deputy chairwoman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), said Trump is set to prioritize America first should he win the election, just like he did during his previous presidency.

“We have seen what Trump was like as president years ago, so we should be familiar with his trade principles. Trump is pragmatic, so he can be transactional. When it comes to partnerships, he will think of what’s in it for the US,” Shinta told reporters in Jakarta on Thursday.

“At the end of the day, Trump is a more pragmatic individual who will see what can bring greater benefits to the US, and we have to make sure it can be mutually beneficial. That’s how it works,” Shinta said.

Shinta described how Indonesia had been struggling to secure a limited free trade deal with Joe Biden’s administration. According to her, things may change if Trump returns to office.

“We talked about having limited trade deals, but we could not get them during Biden’s administration. Perhaps we can bring back those deals if Trump wins. I feel like Trump is likely more open to having some sort of limited trade deals,” Shinta said.

Indonesia has been eyeing a critical mineral agreement with the US so its exported processed minerals for electric vehicles (EVs) can enjoy tax credits under Washington’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Late last year, both countries agreed to develop an action plan that could lay the foundation for critical minerals deal negotiations. While this marked some progress, it is still far from an actual agreement.

Despite Shinta’s remarks, the bilateral trade value has soared in Indonesia’s favor under Biden’s leadership, which began in January 2021.

During Trump’s final years in office, Indonesia-US trade amounted to around $27 billion, government data showed. But the annual trade soared to $37 billion by the end of 2021. Since then, two-way trade numbers have remained above the $30 billion mark, reaching almost $40 billion in 2022.

Over the years, the US has been suffering a huge deficit when trading with Indonesia. Indonesian exports to the US reached around $23.3 billion throughout 2023, while imports stood at $11.3 billion.

In 2018, Trump instructed his government to review Indonesia’s eligibility for the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which had granted goods from Jakarta duty-free treatment, as Washington faced deficits.

By the time the next American leader takes the oath in January 2025, President-Elect Prabowo Subianto will already be in office. In a foreign policy forum last year, Prabowo — who was still a presidential hopeful then — commented on how he would work with the next US president.

“I’m ready to work with anybody who is legitimately elected by the American people,” Prabowo said at the time.

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