RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesia's Trade Minister, Budi Santoso, has called for the accelerated ratification of four international trade agreements to expand Indonesia’s export market access and strengthen its position in regional and global supply chains. The four agreements are the Indonesia–Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (Indonesia–EAEU FTA); the Second Protocol to Amend the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (Second Protocol ATIGA); the ASEAN–China Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol (ACFTA 3.0 Upgrade Protocol); and the ASEAN Food Safety Regulatory Framework Agreement (AFSRFA).

According to him, accelerating the ratification process is necessary so that the outcomes of international trade negotiations can be promptly implemented and utilized by businesses to increase national exports. “The President’s directive is clear: trade agreements whose negotiations have been completed must be implemented immediately so that businesses and the public can benefit from them,” he said, as quoted from an official statement received on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.

“Amid global geopolitical dynamics, Indonesia must continue to expand access to export markets. Trade agreements are strategic instruments for strengthening national competitiveness while opening new market opportunities for Indonesian products,” Trade Minister Budi Santoso said after the working meeting.

Under the Indonesia–EAEU FTA, Indonesia will gain broader market access to the five member states of the Eurasian Economic Union: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan. The region can also serve as a hub for Indonesian exports to Central Asia, West Asia, and Eastern Europe.

The Indonesia–EAEU FTA was signed in St. Petersburg, Russia, on December 21, 2025. The agreement provides for the elimination or reduction of tariffs on 11,882 tariff lines, accounting for approximately 90.5 percent of all EAEU tariff lines.

The agreement’s implementation is expected to increase Indonesia’s exports to the EAEU to between USD 2.87 billion and USD 2.89 billion. Products expected to benefit include palm oil and its derivatives, natural rubber, coffee, fishery products, textiles and textile products, footwear, furniture, machinery and electrical equipment, as well as timber and wood products.

Meanwhile, the Second Protocol ATIGA updates the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, which has been in effect since 2010. The protocol was signed by all ASEAN member states in 2025 to modernize trade in goods across the region.

The upgraded ATIGA raises ASEAN’s trade liberalization commitment to 98.76 percent. It also strengthens trade facilitation, business certainty, and market access among ASEAN member states.

The Second Protocol ATIGA also introduces new areas of cooperation in economic and technical matters, as well as the development of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. The cooperation is expected to provide a foundation for capacity building and technical assistance, enabling MSMEs to make better use of opportunities in the ASEAN market.

Another agreement, the ACFTA 3.0 Upgrade Protocol, was signed during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 28, 2025. The protocol strengthens cooperation under the ASEAN–China Free Trade Area, which has been in effect since January 1, 2010.

The ACFTA upgrade does not alter existing market-access commitments. Instead, enhanced cooperation focuses on the digital economy, green economy, trade facilitation, technical standards, supply-chain connectivity, and technical cooperation between ASEAN and China.

In the food sector, the AFSRFA provides a foundation for ASEAN member states to strengthen the coordination of food-safety policies throughout the supply chain. The framework regulates standards, requirements, procedures, and coordination mechanisms for implementing the ASEAN Food Safety Policy across the region.