The President Director of PT. Jababeka Tbk. (KIJA), Setyono Djuandi Darmono (SD Darmono), revealed an increase in investment interest and visits from Chinese companies following the Trump administration's tariffs. Darmono revealed that his company has recorded an increase in investment interest from Chinese companies in the Jababeka industrial area, even as early as 2025. Darmono detailed that the majority of companies planning to expand their factories in Indonesia are from the energy, electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem, electronics, and logistics sectors. In line with this, Darmono revealed that his company will seize this opportunity through various projects. Furthermore, the Jababeka Industrial Estate project in Kendal and Batang will be launched to attract labor-intensive and EV investments.
Furthermore, this area has government support and SEZ infrastructure, as well as Central Java's attractiveness as a cost-competitive industrial base. Darmono added, his company will also prepare the Morotai project, which will be designed to become an international logistics hub for Eastern Indonesia, starting with the tourism and fisheries sectors before expanding into large-scale logistics. "Jababeka is now not just an industrial area in Cikarang, but a national ecosystem in Kendal-Batang for labor-intensive and EV industries, Cikarang as a world-class modern metropolis, Tanjung Lesung for maritime tourism, and Morotai as an international logistics hub for Eastern Indonesia," he concluded. Previously, several Chinese companies were reported to be expanding their businesses in Indonesia. This occurred as a result of the US imposing a 19% import tariff on goods from Indonesia. China itself currently faces an import tariff of over 30%. Compared to other countries, Indonesia is claimed to have an advantage in terms of its large consumer market potential. Gao Xiaoyu, has received numerous requests froIm Chinese companies to expand their businesses to Indonesia to avoid high tariffs from the United States (US).
