Chery Braces for Impact of US Import Tariffs in Indonesia This Month

KatadataOTO – The import tariffs imposed by the President of the United States are believed to impact various industrial sectors, including automotive.

Although according to Gaikindo, Indonesia does not currently export vehicles to the US, several brands remain vigilant about the potential impact in Indonesia.

From an observer's perspective, a potential negative effect is that many exporting countries to the US will seek alternative markets, one of which could be Indonesia.

Thus, Indonesia could potentially be flooded with foreign products in the future, especially if the government relaxes the rules on TKDN (Local Content Requirement).

Photo : KatadataOTO

PT CSI (Chery Sales Indonesia), as one of the four-wheeled vehicle manufacturers in Indonesia, does not deny that the import tariff issue affects sales.

“The tariff war factor between the US and China has had some effect in recent months. Especially with the long Eid holiday, it's been noticeable,” said Budi Darmawan, Sales Director of PT CSI in PIK some time ago.

Overall, Budi emphasized that the market conditions in Indonesia's automotive sector have not yet fully recovered.

However, he revealed that a positive trend was seen during the IIMS (Indonesia International Motor Show) 2025 event.

“If we talk about the economic conditions and car sales from last year, they haven't really shown a bounce back,” said Budi.

To date, Budi stated that Chery will continue to monitor the latest economic conditions, especially amidst various challenges such as import tariffs and the discourse on easing TKDN rules by the government.

They are also awaiting the official presidential regulation regarding the reduction of TKDN rules. Because it is not yet clear whether this regulation will also be applied similarly in the automotive industry.

Photo : KatadataOTO

Seeing the current conditions, Chery is committed to continuously providing products that meet the community's needs. One of the newest is the Chery Tiggo 8 CSH, PT CSI's first PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) in the country.

Its price is also confirmed to be competitive, different from its rivals in Indonesia which are sold for IDR 1 billion and above.

“This (Chery Tiggo 8 CSH price) will be a breakthrough. Again, a very good alternative for the Indonesian people,” Budi affirmed.