Airlangga Says Pertamina Plans Direct Crude Purchases From US Producers
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Indonesia prepares a rule that allows state energy company Pertamina to buy crude oil directly from American producers as part of efforts to rebalance the United States trade deficit with Indonesia.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto says the government finalizes a presidential rule that permits Pertamina to conduct direct purchases without competitive offers from US suppliers.
“This time, we prepare a presidential regulation that authorizes Pertamina to buy crude directly from American companies without bidding,” Airlangga says at the 2025 US-Indonesia Investment Summit in Jakarta on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025.
He explains the regulation will be completed once both countries finish the ongoing reciprocal tariff negotiations. Almost all text has been reviewed, and the two sides now work on legal finalization with a target for completion this year.
Under the evolving tariff framework, several Indonesian commodities are set to receive zero tariffs due to their availability and the absence of similar production in the United States. Airlangga says crude palm oil, rubber, tea, and coffee fall into this category, while textile and footwear products remain under discussion.
Airlangga notes that United States data places Indonesia’s trade surplus at US$ 18 billion, compared with US$ 14 billion recorded by Indonesian authorities.
To narrow the gap, Indonesia offers to import US energy commodities worth US$ 15 billion and agricultural products valued at US$ 4.5 billion.
Although the US trade imbalance reaches only US$ 18 billion, Airlangga says Indonesia is willing to compensate up to US$ 28 billion. He adds that Indonesian companies also plan new investments in the United States.
“There will be investment from Indonesian firms in the United States to produce blue ammonia, with a total investment of US$ 10 billion,” he says.