ABSTRACT

In 2010, Indonesia officially filled a complaint to the World Trade Organization (WTO) over a dispute regarding the US import ban on clove cigarettes. Despite the fierce exchange of arguments in the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), in 2014, Indonesia and the US agreed to cease the formal pursuit and resolve trade disputes through signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) encompassing a more comprehensive trade partnership. This paper examines the reasons behind Indonesia’s preference for settling the clove cigarette dispute by signing the MoU with the US, stemming from the Indonesian Government’s perception of the shared benefits generated and WTO DSB’s institutional weaknesses. The MoU also allows the Indonesian Government to advance its foreign policy agenda and its trade diplomacy objectives, offering broader sets of advantages.

摘要

2010年，印度尼西亚正式就有关美国进口丁香卷烟进口禁令的争端向世界贸易组织（WTO）提出申诉。尽管在世贸组织争端解决机构（DSB）中进行了激烈的争论，但在2014年，印度尼西亚和美国同意通过签署包含更广泛贸易伙伴关系的谅解备忘录（MoU）来停止正式追捕并解决贸易争端。本文探讨了印度尼西亚偏爱通过与美国签署谅解备忘录而解决丁香卷烟争议的原因，其原因在于印度尼西亚政府对共享利益的认识以及WTO DSB的体制弱点。谅解备忘录还允许印度尼西亚政府推进其外交政策议程和贸易外交目标，从而提供更多的优势。