Thailand
Indonesian steel products get tariff exemption from US
The United States has made the decision to exempt 19 Indonesian steelproducts, namely carbon and alloy and stainless steels, from its 25 percent tariffs, Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita has said.
The US government’s decision was made on Aug. 2, said Enggartiasto, claiming that it came as a result of an Indonesian mission to Washington from July 23 to 27.
Led by the minister himself, the mission included a meeting on trade issues with US Trade Minister Wilbur Ross.
“Apart from trying to convince the US government, we also sought support from business communities, particularly from the importers of the Indonesian steel products,” Enggartiasto said in a statement received on Monday.
He said the mission was to convince the US government that Indonesia still deserved to be part of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).
“We were trying to convince the US government that Indonesia still deserves to be part of the GSP because the characteristics of Indonesian products were different from those produced in the US,” he added
Trade Ministry international trade director general Oke Nurman said 12 Indonesian steel products with a total volume of 336,688 tons annually were still seeking exemption from the US.
He said the Indonesian government would continue to communicate with the US. “Direct contact with trade partners like the US is important, particularly amid the ongoing trade war,” he added. (bbn)
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2018/09/03/indonesian-steel-products-get-tariff-exemption-from-us.html