Indonesian President Joko Widodo aims to make the country an Asian hub for manufacturing electric vehicles (EVs) by leveraging its vast nickel resources. He has been offering incentives to Tesla, including tax breaks and mining concessions. Now, Widodo is seeking a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States to qualify for generous EV subsidies under the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
In September, Indonesia requested talks with Washington for a limited trade deal covering EV battery inputs like nickel and cobalt