President Jokowi Asks US Gov’t to Maintain GSP for Indonesian Products

President Jokowi meets with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, at the Merdeka Palace, Sunday (5/8). (Photo by: Public Relations Division/Agung)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has asked the US Government to maintain the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) for Indonesian products because the products exported by Indonesia are related with the products exported by the US.

The request was made by President Jokowi during a courtesy call from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the Merdeka Palace, Sunday (5/8).

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi who accompanied the President during meeting said that among goods in the GSP facility, 53% of them are related with products exported by the US.

Retno added that during the meeting, President Jokowi and US Secretary of State discussed a number of issues among others the commitment from both the US and Indonesia to continue the strategic partnership that the two countries have built since 2015. “So bilateral relations between the two countries were built based on the strategic partnership and President Jokowi hopes that the strategic partnership will not only bring benefits for the two countries but also for the world,” she said.

Regarding economic cooperation. Retno explained that President Jokowi and US Secretary of State discussed the commitment of the two countries to promote cooperation in the economic sector, especially in the trade sector. She also mentioned that Indonesian Minister of Trade recently visited the US to talk with his US counterpart and the private sectors in the US and from the visit, the US private sectors and the US Minister of Trade have expressed their commitment to continue to promote mutually beneficial trade cooperation.

“The President said if seen from the types of goods that Indonesia exports compared with the ones exported by the US, they do not compete one another. Therefore, it will be easier for us to promote trade cooperation with the US,” she said.

Joining the President during the meeting were Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, Minister of Trade Enggartiasto Lukita, and Indonesian Ambassador to the US Budi Bowoleksono. (DNA/ES) (/EP/Naster)