TEMPO.CO, Bandung - Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said is in the middle of lobbying the United States government, in a bid to exempt Indonesian` aluminum from their import duties.
"I'm asking for an exception over the tariff," he said in Bandung, Wednesday, August 8.
Enggartiasto said America charges 25 percent duty for aluminum import. "I told them that our market share in America is only 0.23 percent, and [our product] is not made in America, and is used by the American industry, including Boeing," he said.
Enggartiasto asked the United States for an exemption. He said that the US has two options to do that.
Boeing for example—as a user of Indonesian aluminum—can reduce their profit or raise the selling prices of the aircraft as compensation for the tariff exemption.
"That's what trade is all about," he said.
Enggartiasto said he does not know how his proposal would be responded by the US.
"The decision is entirely in America's hands. I'm just asking for them to please lower their import duty," he said.