On Tuesday, Ambassador Kirk met with Trade Minister Mari Pangestu of Indonesia for a wide-ranging discussion of the bilateral trade relationship. They welcomed progress made in advancing the relationship between the two countries and agreed to hold the next meeting of the U.S.-Indonesia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement in the next few months in Washington, D.C.
Ambassador Kirk and Minister Pangestu
In addition, Ambassador Kirk and Minister Pangestu agreed to explore ways to expand bilateral cooperation on trade and investment issues. This includes facilitating the expanded engagement of U.S. and Indonesian business leaders in upcoming discussions.
Ambassador Kirk emphasized the importance of making progress on outstanding market access issues, including customs procedures restricting U.S. exports of movies to Indonesia. They also discussed the status of the Generalized System of Preferences program. The two ministers exchanged views on the Doha round of negotiations and on the work they were doing together in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The U.S.-Indonesia trade relationship is growing rapidly. In 2010, U.S. goods trade with Indonesia rebounded from the global economic downturn by increasing to an all-time high of $23 billion, up 30 percent from 2009. U.S. exports led the increase, up 36 percent to $6.9 billion last year, supporting well-paying jobs here at home.
