The U.S.-China trade war is beneficial to Indonesia as it could lead to a shift in production to other countries in the region, according to Vice-President Jusuf Kalla.
“Ongoing trade war is quite good,” Kalla said at a discussion on economic outlook in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Southeast Asia is seen a potential beneficiary from the trade war, especially low-cost locations like Vietnam. Indonesia, with its restrictions on foreign investment and poor infrastructure, is less of a drawcard for businesses.
Indonesia’s trade deficit ballooned to a five-year high of $2.1 billion in November as imports continued to outpace exports. There are signs the U.S. and China may reach a deal to resolve the trade dispute that’s resulted in the two countries imposing tariffs on a combined $360 billion in each others’ imports.