Indonesia Eyes Boeing 737 Max Jets Dropped by China Amid U.S. Trade War Pivot

Boeing 737 aircraft fuselages are pictured at the company's Renton factory in Renton, Washington, on April 15, 2025. (Photo: Jason Redmond / AFP)

Indonesia is quietly maneuvering to benefit from the fallout of the China-U.S. full-blown trade war. With Beijing halting deliveries of Boeing 737 Max jets, the U.S. aerospace giant is rerouting aircraft originally bound for Chinese airlines, offering a rare opening for countries like Indonesia to step in.

Indonesian Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi has publicly encouraged local carriers to consider acquiring the jets. “We still need more aircraft,” Dudy said Wednesday at the parliament building in Jakarta. “If airlines see an opportunity in the current situation, it could be a good move.”

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Edwin Shri Bimo

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
3
Chinese Cargo Planes Secretly Ferrying Supplies to Iran, Claim Online Sleuths
4
Indonesia Goes Nuclear, Taps China and Russia for Modular Reactors
5
Thailand in Last-Minute U.S. Talks as 36% Tariff Looms
6 Trump’s Contradictory Iran Strategy Leaves U.S. Weaker After War’s End, Says Chinese Commentator

You Might Like

A sweeping new regulation mandates that exporters in key natural resource sectors keep 100% of their foreign exchange earnings within the country’s financial system for a full year, an aggressive strategy aimed at bolstering foreign reserves and protecting the rupiah.

Indonesia Announces 100% Export Earnings Retention: Economic Game-Changer or Business Constraint? 

As Indonesia tightens control over export earnings, President Prabowo Subianto’s administration is making a decisive bet on economic resilience. A sweeping new regulation mandates that exporters in key natural resource sectors ...
China’s insatiable appetite for durian is fueling a high-stakes competition among Southeast Asian suppliers, with Indonesia now pushing to enter the lucrative market.

Vietnam Challenges Thailand as Durian Export Leader Amid China’s Booming Demand

Vietnam’s durian industry is booming, fueled by China’s increasing love for the “King of Fruits.” In 2024, Vietnam’s durian exports hit an impressive $3.3 billion, a staggering almost 8-fold increase from ...

China’s Global Trade Surplus Spikes Amid Boom in Exports

China’s trade surplus with the world last year almost equaled $1 trillion. Trade numbers announced on Monday show that exports rose 10.7%, outpacing predictions. This record high means that Chinese manufacturing is ruling global ...

Indonesia’s 2024 Non-Oil Exports to BRICS Founders Make Up 34% of Total, China Dominates

Indonesia’s non-oil and gas exports to BRICS nations saw a slight decline in 2024, according to the latest report from the Indonesian Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS). Exports to the five founding BRICS ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP