Jakarta, June 9 -- Trade Minister Budi Santoso said barter trade arrangements are among the government's strategies to reduce demand for U.S. dollars and help ease pressure on the rupiah amid its depreciation against the greenback.

He said the government has begun promoting countertrade cooperation with several countries, including the Philippines.

"One of the objectives is to reduce our spending in U.S. dollars. We have already started doing this through barter arrangements," Budi told reporters after a limited coordination meeting on food commodity price developments in Jakarta on Tuesday.

According to the minister, Indonesia and the Philippines have explored barter transactions involving abaca fiber and textiles, as well as iron ore...