Indonesia Enhances Ties with the United States on G20 Sidelines

RRI.CO.ID, Milwaukee – Indonesia's Trade Minister, Budi Santoso, attended a series of bilateral meetings with Indonesia’s trade partners in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. The meetings took place on the sidelines of the first day of the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting (TMM) series.

During these engagements, Budi met with the U.S. business community. He affirmed that Indonesia remains committed to continuously strengthening trade cooperation with its partner nations.

“We met with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Government of Saudi Arabia, and the Government of Russia. These three trading partners already share strong relations with Indonesia. We hope that these bilateral meetings will further enhance mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries,” he stated, as quoted in a written ministry press release on Thursday, October 1, 2026.

In his meeting with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Budi invited U.S. businesses to strengthen trade ties with Indonesia through the Business 20 (B20) forum. He noted that Indonesia is opening doors for business collaboration ranging from downstream industries and value-added production to supplier development in strategic sectors, such as rare earth elements and renewable energy.

Minister Budi also discussed the progress of the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) with the U.S. business community, expressing hope that the agreement will soon be implemented and utilized by both nations.

Meanwhile, Vice President and Executive Director of International Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Isabelle Icso, responded positively to efforts aimed at enhancing business cooperation with Indonesia. She outlined four main B20 priorities: reducing trade-inhibiting policies, modernizing the WTO, maintaining duty-free digital trade, and strengthening cross-border investments.

Additionally, the U.S. business sector offered cooperation in capacity building and digital payment systems for Indonesian micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Budi also extended an invitation to business leaders to participate in the upcoming international trade exhibition, Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) 2026. TEI will be held at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) BSD, Tangerang Regency, Banten, from October 14–18, 2026.