Bakom Emphasizes that the RI-US ART is Subject to National Interests

RI Government Communication Agency (Bakom RI) Expert Fithra Faisal Hastiadi/ANTARA

JAKARTA - The Main Expert of the Government Communication Agency (Bakom RI) Fithra Faisal Hastiadi stated that the provisions of Article 5.1 in the reciprocal trade agreement (Agreement on Reciprocal Trade/ART) between Indonesia and the United States remain subject to national interests.

Fithra stated that this made Indonesia not automatically follow the US policy towards other countries.

Fithra's statement responded to the Chinese government which highlighted the reciprocal trade agreement between Indonesia and the US specifically regarding Indonesia's import restrictions on other trading partners.

This is contained in article 5.1 The Agreement on Reciprocal Trade which states "If the US imposes duties, quotas, prohibitions, fees, levies, or other import restrictions on goods or services from third countries and considers such actions to be relevant to protect economic or national security, the US will notify Indonesia of such actions for the purpose of adjusting economic and national security and Indonesia will adopt or maintain restrictive measures equivalent to those adopted by the US".

Fithra explained that the provision is basically aimed at preventing practices such as transhipment and so on.

"There, if from the sequences in 5.1, there is for example the US applying tariffs, quotas, sanctions, or whatever against certain countries, and the US gives a notification to Indonesia, and Indonesia should follow, to be in-lined with the United States, so that the actual goal is to avoid some kind of, whether it's transhipment or whatever. So that's actually the motivation of the US there," said Fithra as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, February 25.

However, he emphasized that in the next sentence there was a clause stating that the implementation of the policy still depended on Indonesia's national interests.

"Well, on the other hand, if we go to 5.2 or 5.3, it is a kansubject to national interest. So in this case, we have an escape clause," he said.

According to him, Indonesia's national interests include good relations with various partner countries, including China, so that the implementation of the provisions in the ART still considers broader diplomatic and economic aspects.

"That is also part of the national interest, which is something that can be discussed again," he said.

In addition, Fithra said that a Consul on Trade and Investment would be formed as a forum to discuss various trade and investment issues, including possible adjustments if there are policies that are considered to interfere with national interests.

"The consul on Trade and Investment is for discussions on things that are, for example, when the trade balance is no longer balanced, it can be discussed again," he said.

Thus, Fithra assessed that the provisions of Article 5.1 of the ART did not eliminate Indonesia's policy space, because there were still safety mechanisms and discussion spaces to safeguard national interests.

"It is not impossible that other things, which are considered to be disturbing our national interests, can be discussed in the forum, to be renegotiated," he said.