Indonesia is looking to broaden its economic relationship with the United States beyond traditional... Indonesia is looking to broaden its economic relationship with the United States beyond traditional trade. In a meeting held in Washington on Tuesday, July 28, and reported on Friday, July 31, 2026, Indonesian Ambassador to the US Indroyono Soesilo discussed potential cooperation covering food, aviation, mining, defense, technology, and artificial intelligence.
Indroyono stressed that the relationship should not be measured only by trade figures. Indonesia wants stronger economic ties to create more value at home, strengthen local industries, generate jobs, improve the quality of its workforce, and bring new technology into the country.
Aviation is one area with room for deeper cooperation. Boeing already has a long-standing relationship with Indonesia through commercial aircraft used by national airlines, while future opportunities could extend into aircraft component manufacturing and supply chains. In defense and aerospace, Lockheed Martin is looking at opportunities related to military modernization and strengthening Indonesia's domestic industrial capabilities.
Mining remains another major part of the relationship. Freeport-McMoRan, through PT Freeport Indonesia, continues to play an important role in Indonesia's mineral sector, including investment in mining infrastructure and mineral processing and refining facilities. In food and agriculture, Cargill is involved in commodities such as corn, soybeans, and wheat, while Caterpillar has supplied heavy equipment to Indonesia's mining and construction industries since 1971.
Technology is becoming a bigger part of the relationship as well. NVIDIA is involved in developing AI talent with Indonesia's Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology. Walmart Foundation is working on sustainable supply chains and farmer welfare, while Chubb has contributed to financial literacy and risk management initiatives.
Investment figures show that the economic relationship is already significant. Indonesia Investment Promotion Center New York said US investment in Indonesia reached about US$1.7 billion in the first half of 2026. In 2025, Indonesia exported about US$31 billion worth of goods to the US, representing roughly 11% of the country's total global exports, while bilateral trade reached around US$43.8 billion.
Indonesia's leading exports to the US include electronics, textiles, footwear, palm oil, furniture, and fisheries products. The US, meanwhile, supplies Indonesia with products such as soybeans, cotton, wheat, aircraft and aerospace equipment, machinery, health products, and information and communications technology.
The next challenge is making the relationship more attractive for long-term investment. Indonesian officials highlighted intellectual property protection, consistent regulation between central and local governments, logistics efficiency, and workforce quality as areas that still need improvement. The broader goal is not simply to bring in more foreign capital, but to use investment and technology partnerships to help Indonesia move further into manufacturing, innovation, and higher-value global supply chains.See More
Indonesia Explores New Cooperation With The US, From Food To AI
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Indonesia Explores New Cooperation With The US, From Food To AI (Image: Negeri Konoha)
Indonesia is looking to broaden its economic relationship with the United States beyond traditional... See More
