Antara News·Indonesia·Friday, September 4, 2026 at 10:36 AM

IEU-CEPA to strengthen market access for Indonesian goods: govt

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Suharsana Aji Sasra J. C., Yashinta Difa

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs affirmed that the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA) will significantly strengthen global market access for Indonesian export products.

The ministry’s Deputy for Economic Cooperation and Investment Coordination, Edi Prio Pambudi, stated in Jakarta on Friday that the landmark trade pact will benefit key national commodities, including palm oil, footwear, coffee, furniture, agricultural and fishery products, as well as telecommunications equipment.

"Following the completion of negotiations on the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in September 2025, we are now entering the preparation phase aimed at making the agreement come into force in 2027," Edi noted.

Under the agreed terms, 90.4 percent of Indonesian tariff lines will face zero duties immediately upon the agreement taking effect. An additional 8.37 percent of tariff lines will benefit from phased tariff reductions and Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) facilities.

Edi highlighted the trade deal's potential to boost bilateral ties with individual member states, specifically Ireland, which assumes the Presidency of the Council of the EU from July 1 through December 31, 2026.

"We believe that the Irish Presidency... provides an important opportunity to further strengthen economic cooperation between Indonesia and Ireland, as well as deepening Indonesia's involvement with the European Union more broadly," he noted, emphasizing that partnership metrics should focus on high-quality investment, innovation, job creation, and technology transfer.

Trade Minister Budi Santoso expressed optimism that the official signing of the IEU-CEPA will take place by late October 2026, keeping the timeline on track for implementation in early 2027.

Budi noted that Indonesian officials recently met with EU ambassadors in Jakarta to coordinate administrative roadmaps across the bloc's 27 member nations.

The legal text of the agreement was submitted to the European Union Council on August 22, 2026. Following the official signing, the document will move to the European Parliament for final ratification.

Indonesian officials estimate the parliamentary ratification process could take as few as 90 days, citing the precedent set by the EU-Mexico trade agreement.

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