Trade Minister Budi Santoso Heads to US for G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesian Trade Minister Budi Santoso departed for the United States on Monday night, September 28, 2026, according to a written press release. Budi is scheduled to attend the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting (TMM) from 30 September to 1 October 2026, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

This G20 TMM serves as a strategic forum for G20 trade ministers to discuss priority trade agendas under the 2026 US G20 Presidency. During the meeting, Budi is committed to advocating Indonesia's trade interests and supporting the multilateral trading system.

"Indonesia's participation in the G20 TMM provides momentum to voice national trade interests. Furthermore, Indonesia continues to reaffirm its support for a fair, open, and rules-based multilateral trading system. Indonesia is also committed to ensuring that every G20 initiative aligns with World Trade Organization (WTO) provisions," Budi stated.

The Trade Minister is scheduled to deliver Indonesia's views across four G20 TMM sessions. These addresses will cover the weaponization of food through coercive trade measures, structural excess capacity and overproduction, the Most Favored Nation (MFN) principle, and the elimination of forced labor in global supply chains.

On the sidelines of the G20 TMM series, Budi is scheduled to meet with the Business 20 (B20) community under the auspices of the US Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he will attend several bilateral meetings with partner countries and meet with the Indonesian Consul General in Chicago to discuss strengthening trade promotion and market access for Indonesian products in the US.

The 2026 US G20 Presidency operates under the theme "Unleashing Economic Prosperity by Limiting the Burdens of Regulations, Unlocking Affordable Energy Options, and Pioneering New Tech and Innovation." On the trade track, the US Presidency has hosted a series of Trade Working Group (TWG) meetings since January 2026 to discuss four priority agendas for ministerial discussion at the G20 TMM.

The G20 is an international economic cooperation forum comprising major developed and developing economies. It consists of 19 countries—Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the USA—along with two regional organizations: the European Union and the African Union.

Collectively, the G20 accounts for approximately 88.5 percent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 75.9 percent of global merchandise trade, and 78.7 percent of the world's population. Indonesia previously held the G20 Presidency in 2022, culminating in the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, on 15–16 November 2022.