Pertamina to keep competitive bidding for U.S. energy imports after trade deal

Indonesia’s state energy firm PT Pertamina (Persero) will continue to procure U.S. energy supplies through a competitive bidding process despite a newly signed bilateral trade agreement between the two countries, the company said.

The agreement, which reduces U.S. import tariffs on Indonesian goods from 32% to 19%, includes a commitment by Indonesia to import about $38.4 billion worth of U.S. goods and services, including roughly $15 billion in energy commodities such as crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and refined fuels.

Pertamina President Director Simon Aloysius Mantiri said imports of U.S. energy products would follow the company’s standard tender mechanism, with no direct appointment of suppliers.

“All procurement will continue to go through competitive bidding in line with our governance principles,” he told reporters.

Read also : Pertamina signs oilfield recovery MoU with Halliburton

Indonesia is expected to increase LPG imports from the United States as part of the arrangement. Currently, around 57% of Pertamina’s LPG imports come from the U.S., a share projected to rise to about 70% in the coming years.

Pertamina has also signed memorandums of understanding with several U.S. energy firms, including Exxon Mobil and Chevron, to explore longer-term supply cooperation.

Indonesia has signaled it will gradually reduce dependence on traditional suppliers in Singapore, the Middle East and Africa, as it seeks to diversify energy sources and strengthen strategic trade ties with the United States.

Pertamina said maintaining an open tender system would ensure transparency, cost efficiency and compliance with corporate governance standards, even as energy trade with Washington expands.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak