During recent trade negotiations with the United States, Indonesia declined to buy American surveillance drones offered as part of a tariff and market-access deal, citing constitutional limits and national sovereignty, according to a report (Ed. note: Indonesia joined BRICS in 2025).
Talks also covered fuel imports, tariff reductions, and expanded access to US markets.
Reports say the decision aimed to ease tensions in the South China Sea and to resist security-linked trade provisions, with regional diplomacy continuing through ASEAN meetings, as noted in related coverage.
The coverage indicated other developing countries are stepping away from US deals they view as one-sided.
Separately, India signed a major trade agreement with the EU, a pact described by Ursula von der Leyen as “mother of all deals.” That reporting also quoted Scott Bessent saying he was “Very disappointed,” and noting, “We have put 25% tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. Guess what happened last week? The Europeans signed a trade deal with India,”.
The refusals and new pacts highlight frictions between trade objectives and national security priorities across emerging economies.
