ECONOMIC INTEGRATION NEEDED TO FACE TRADE WAR

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 28 (Antara) - In the face of possible trade war between giant economies of the United States and China, Indonesia has to improve the structure of its exports and help strengthen regional economic integration.         Indonesia is now reviewing the impact of the trade war threat following the possible tariff wars of the two countries.         The United States has issued a threat on Monday June 18 to slap a 10 percent import duty on US$200 billion worth of Chinese goods after Beijing decided to raise the import duty on US$50 billion worth of US commodities in response to similar measure taken by Washington on Chinese goods.         "Indeed, this trade war will come into force next month, and from now on, the minister of economy has the opportunity to evaluate what the pros and cons are. We will examine its impact to avoid negative ones," Vice President Jusuf Kalla noted at the Vice President's Palace on Tuesday (June 26).         The vice president remarked that the trade war between the United States and China will have an impact on Indonesia. Hence, it is necessary to examine the extent of the impact on the economy and the opportunities that can be utilized in the situation.