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View all search resultsCanada to ratify trade deal with Indonesia before summer
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was signed in September last year during President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to Ottawa, marking a key milestone in Indonesia-Canada trade ties.
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Canada’s Secretary of State for International Assistance Randeep Sarai (middle), Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste Jess Dutton (right) and Ambassador to ASEAN Ambra Dickie (left) address the press on Jan. 13, 2025, in Jakarta. (JP/Deni Ghifari)
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senior Canadian official has said the country is likely to ratify the Indonesia-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (ICA-CEPA) before the summer months begin, and has pledged funding for technical assistance on Indonesia’s side.
Canada’s Secretary of State for International Assistance, Randeep Sarai, told reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday that the CEPA document “has been tabled” in the Canadian House of Commons, adding that “we expect it to be ratified very shortly”.
Asked whether Canada has set a specific month for ratification, Sarai said that “with our parliament, it’s hard to say a specific month”, but added that “it will be done, in my expectation, probably before the end of spring or the beginning of summer”.
Read also: RI, Canada ink trade pact amid US pressure
The free trade agreement (FTA) was signed by the executive branches of both countries in September last year during President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to the Canadian capital, Ottawa. The legislatures of both countries must ratify the agreement before it can enter into force.
It remains unclear whether Jakarta has formally submitted the agreement to the House of Representatives for ratification. The Canadian Parliament is currently on its winter break, with sittings adjourned until Jan. 25, while the Indonesian legislature has been in recess since Tuesday.
The deal is expected to eliminate or sharply reduce tariffs on more than 95 percent of Canadian exports, making key commodities such as wheat, potash and agri-food products far more competitive in Indonesia’s market of around 280 million people.
