Long before President Trump wielded tariffs as a weapon to punish Indonesia, the country was fighting back a flood of cheap Chinese goods.

Indonesia also has agreed to purchase billions in U.S. energy, agriculture products and airplanes, Trump said July 15 in a social media post.

Donald Trump said the US had reached a trade deal with Indonesia that would result in goods from the south-east Asian nation to the US being hit with a 19 per cent tariff and Jakarta buying American energy and Boeing jets.