Indonesia targets late November signing for EU trade pact
Officials outlined different signing dates, while Airlangga Hartarto said he hoped the agreement could take effect on 1 January 2027.
Indonesia hopes to sign its trade agreement with the European Union by late November 2026, government officials said on 9 November. Deputy Trade Minister Dyah Roro Esti suggested 28 November as a tentative date for finalising the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA).
Speaking to reporters in Jakarta, Dyah said an Indonesian delegation would travel to Brussels. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto outlined a different timetable: a planned signing on 21 November, followed by submission to the European Parliament on 23 November. Ratification would then proceed in the respective parliaments.
Airlangga said he hoped the agreement could take effect on 1 January 2027. He linked the urgency to the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences, saying Indonesia’s tariff benefits under that arrangement would end on the same date.
Airlangga had previously said implementation from the start of 2027 would immediately eliminate tariffs on 90.4 per cent of tariff lines, while 8.37 per cent would face phased reductions. He expected wider export opportunities for palm oil, footwear, coffee, furniture, agriculture and fisheries products, and telecommunications.
Indonesia is also seeking EU investment in advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, electric vehicles, digital industries and pharmaceuticals to support technology transfer and domestic industrial transformation. Airlangga said he expected the pact to strengthen trade, investment, supply-chain diversification and bilateral economic resilience.
