Los Angeles - Anindya Novyan Bakrie, Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin Indonesia), was one of the speakers at the prestigious Milken Institute Global Conference 2025 held in Los Angeles, United States, on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.

At the forum, Anindya, popularly known as Anin, emphasized the importance of building balanced trade and investment cooperation between Indonesia and the United States.

“This time, Indonesia is present with a substantial delegation. I am one of the speakers, alongside Mr. Pandu Sjahrir (Chief Investment Officer of Danantara) and Mr. Dino Patti Djalal, who is also a Milken Fellow,” said Anin.

Anin stressed that the delegation’s presence aimed not only to strengthen business relations but also to introduce a new face of Indonesia under President Prabowo Subianto’s leadership.

“Events like this are very important to showcase who the new Indonesia is and to convince the world to come and invest in Indonesia,” Anin added.

Furthermore, Anin highlighted that bilateral trade should be viewed from a broader perspective, covering strategic sectors such as critical minerals, health, and technology.

“If we can truly find a way to achieve balanced trade with the U.S., we want to sell more capital-intensive industrial products such as footwear, garments, electronics, rubber, and others. Conversely, the U.S. could supply protein sources such as soybeans, dairy, and meat,” Anin explained.

Anin set a target for the total Indonesia-U.S. trade value to increase from USD 40 billion to USD 80 billion within the next two years.

“This means more jobs will be created. Currently, 2.1 million people are employed in three main sectors: footwear, garments, and electronics. If these sectors grow two to three times, we could add another 200,000 to 400,000 workers,” Anin said.

He also addressed global challenges such as trade tariffs.

Anin stated that while tariff policies fall under government jurisdiction, Indonesia has prepared a constructive diplomatic strategy.

“The U.S. appreciates that the Indonesian government wants to take a positive diplomatic approach rather than retaliation. They are also considering how to redirect imports of oil and gas from other countries to the U.S.,” Anin said.

Anin emphasized the critical role of investment in driving national economic growth.

“Last year alone, Indonesia received USD 100 billion in investment, half of which came from abroad. If we want to sustain economic growth at 8 percent, this amount must continue to increase,” he stressed.

For information, the Milken Institute Global Conference 2025 is a prestigious annual forum organized by the Milken Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on accelerating global progress in health, finance, technology, and public policy.

According to www.milkeninstitute.org, the conference gathers over 5,000 participants from more than 80 countries, including CEOs, government officials, philanthropists, scientists, investors, and cultural leaders. With over 900 speakers and 200 sessions, the event serves as a platform to discuss global challenges and explore innovative solutions.