Critical Minerals and China Containment

Indonesia signed a reciprocal trade agreement in Washington that will eliminate tariffs on 99% of U.S. goods while the U.S. will keep roughly a 19% tariff on most Indonesian goods, and Jakarta agreed to lift non‑tariff barriers and restrictions on critical‑minerals and other industrial exports; the announcement was accompanied by 11 commercial deals worth $38.4 billion covering U.S. agricultural purchases, critical‑minerals cooperation, oil‑field recovery and chip ventures. At Trump’s Board of Peace meeting, Defense Minister Prabowo publicly reaffirmed his pledge to send up to 8,000 Indonesian troops to an international Gaza stabilization force, a commitment the White House hailed as part of a broader pattern tying Board of Peace participation to trade terms.