Indonesia, EU sign longawaited trade deal

TDT | Denpasar

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Indonesia and the European Union finalised negotiations on a trade agreement yesterday after nearly a decade of talks, a senior minister said.

The Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is the third deal Brussels has signed with Southeast Asian countries, after Singapore and Vietnam.

The pact was signed by EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Indonesian Minister of Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto in Bali and will open investment in strategic sectors such as electric vehicles, electronics, and pharmaceuticals.

“By finalising this agreement, the EU and Indonesia are sending a powerful message to the world that we stand united in our commitment to open rules-based and mutually beneficial international trade,” Sefcovic said after the signing.

“In all, EU exporters will save some 600 million euros ($708 million) a year in duties paid on their goods entering the Indonesian market, and European products will be more affordable and available to Indonesian consumers,” EU President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.

Indonesia has been in talks with the EU since 2016, but negotiations for a trade deal initially saw little progress.

Issues such as palm oil and deforestation posed stumbling blocks, but US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff policy “created the urgency” to expedite an agreement, said Deni Friawan, researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

The trade deal also included a protocol on palm oil, the EU said in a statement, without providing details. “This is a ten-year journey that has resulted in a milestone that reflects our commitment and the commitment of stakeholders to an open, fair, and sustainable economic assistance,” Airlangga told a news conference. The agreement is expected to be implemented by 2027, Airlangga added. Around 80 percent of Indonesian exports to the EU will be tariff-free after the deal comes into force, Airlangga said in June.