Indonesia pushes for EU trade deal signing before tariff relief expires
Airlangga Hartarto wants ratification accelerated so the agreement can take effect in January 2027.
Indonesia is seeking to speed up the signing of its trade agreement with the European Union ahead of the expiry of preferential tariffs on 1 January 2027, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said.
Speaking in Jakarta on 28 October 2026, Airlangga said the government wanted the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA) signed as soon as possible. He hoped faster ratification on both sides would allow it to take effect in January.
The EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) reduces import duties on Indonesian goods entering the bloc. Indonesia could leave the scheme from 1 January 2027 after holding upper-middle-income status for three consecutive years.
Airlangga had said in September that English-language documents for the IEU-CEPA were being prepared for submission to the European Parliament. Indonesia would then pursue ratification through its domestic procedures. His October remarks called for the European parliamentary stage to begin in early November, alongside ratification in Indonesia.
