BRICS member Indonesia has taken an unprecedented stand, snubbing Trump’s drone deal during the high-stakes trade negotiations with the US. According to the latest report from the TOI, Indonesia refused to purchase American surveillance drones as part of a tariff and market-access deal.
The BRICS member cited constitutional limits and national sovereignty while backing out of Trump’s drone deal push. However, Indonesia is simultaneously in trade talks on fuel imports, tariff cuts, and receiving expanded access to the US markets.
Reports also suggest that BRICS member Indonesia snubbed Trump’s drone deal to ease tensions in the South China Sea. The heightened conflict indicates Indonesia’s effort to resist security-linked trade policies. Even the ASEAN counterpart, the Philippines, chaired a high-level meeting amid the rising South China Sea tensions.
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BRICS: Trump’s Drone Deal Rejected
Indonesia, which joined BRICS in 2025, has openly rejected Trump’s drone deal talks. The development highlights the hard stance that emerging economies are taking during Trump’s tenure. Developing countries are prioritizing their national economies over the tit-for-tat trade policies from the White House.
The BRICS member refusing Trump’s drone deal is a testament to the growing hostility towards the US’s bullying tactics. Not just Indonesia, but many other developing countries are walking away from accepting trade deals with the US. They believe that the US deals are one-sided, which looks to benefit only the American economy.
Even India, which will chair the BRICS summit this year, signed a trade deal with the European Union. Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Union (EU), called it the “mother of all deals.” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hit out at Europe for inking the deal with India. “Very disappointed,” he said during an interview with ABC News. “We have put 25% tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. Guess what happened last week? The Europeans signed a trade deal with India,” he said.
