Indonesia and Canada Accelerate ICA-CEPA Implementation

RRI.CO.ID, Toronto – The Indonesian and Canadian governments held a bilateral meeting in Toronto to accelerate the implementation of the Indonesia-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (ICA-CEPA) and expand market access for both nations. This strategic step was directly discussed by Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and Canadian Minister of International Trade The Honourable Maninder Sidhu on Monday, September 14, 2026.

This high-level meeting on the sidelines of the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto, Canada, marks a crucial transition in trade relations from the ratification stage to concrete implementation. The continuously evolving global economic dynamic serves as a strong background for both countries to strengthen bilateral cooperation, which has grown steadily at 9.13% annually since 2021.

As Indonesia's first comprehensive economic partnership agreement in North America, ICA-CEPA is scheduled to be implemented by the end of this year. Signed in September 2025, the agreement is projected to boost Indonesian exports to Canada up to US$11.8 billion by 2030.

This strategic partnership entails the elimination or reduction of tariffs on over 90% of Canadian tariff lines for Indonesian products and nearly 86% for Canadian products. Leading sectors such as critical mineral downstreaming, clean energy, agrifood, and digital infrastructure are poised to reap direct benefits from this agreement.

Strengthening trade networks with Indonesia also positions Canada more broadly to enhance its engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. Therefore, resolving technical challenges such as standardization, logistics, and MSME capacity building has become a shared priority to ensure economic benefits are distributed evenly.

Future cooperation will focus on critical mineral dialogues and technical economic cooperation to ensure effective implementation on the ground. "Today's meeting reaffirms the joint commitment of Indonesia and Canada to ensure that ICA-CEPA truly delivers tangible benefits for business actors in both countries," Airlangga said.

The Indonesian delegation led by Coordinating Minister Airlangga was accompanied by Indonesian Ambassador to Canada Muhsin Syihab alongside several senior ministry officials. The presence of these key officials reflects the government's full seriousness in overseeing the smooth execution of strategic cooperation between the two nations.