TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Deputy Foreign Minister Arif Havas Oegroseno has denied that Indonesia's participation in the BRICS economic bloc is the reason behind the 32 percent reciprocal tariff imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
He said that President Prabowo Subianto's attendance at the BRICS meeting is unrelated to the tariff's implementation, noting that several non-BRICS countries are also facing similar impositions from the United States.
"So, [it has] nothing to do with it. Many non-BRICS countries are also affected," Arif said at the Senayan Parliament complex in Jakarta on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.
He explained that Indonesia still has time to negotiate with the White House regarding this reciprocal tariff. However, he declined to elaborate on the specific nature of the upcoming negotiations.
Oegroseno only mentioned that Indonesia has put forth several offers aimed at significantly lowering the reciprocal tariff below 32 percent. "We have the numbers, but I can't disclose them," Arif said.
Prabowo had previously attended the 2025 BRICS Summit at the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday, July 6, 2025. Prabowo's presence marked Indonesia's inaugural participation in the BRICS Summit after becoming a member earlier this year.
In a press release from the Palace, upon arrival at the VVIP lobby of MAM, Prabowo was welcomed by an honor guard as a sign of respect for the attending head of state. Leaders of other delegations, including those from Iran, India, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Russia, China, and Ethiopia, had received similar receptions.
U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on any country supporting the "anti-American policies" of the BRICS group. "There will be no exceptions to this policy," Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Sunday, July 6, 2025.
In addition to Indonesia, other non-BRICS countries currently affected by reciprocal tariffs include Japan and South Korea (25 percent); Myanmar and Laos (40 percent); Thailand and Cambodia (36 percent); Bangladesh and Serbia (35 percent); Bosnia (30 percent); and Tunisia (25 percent).
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