Indonesia, EU to sign CEPA after decade of negotiations
The Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA) is set to be signed on September 23 after a decade of negotiations, according to Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto.
A craftsman finishes making a bag from snake skin at Khyang Leather, Cisoka, Tangerang Regency, Banten. The IEU-CEPA opens up new trade and investment opportunities for both the EU and Indonesia. Photo courtesy of Antara.
Once the agreement is signed, the process will continue at the parliament of each party. He added, however, that it still requires approval from the parliaments of all 27 European Union member states to come into force.
Director general of International Trade Negotiations at the Indonesian Trade Ministry Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono highlighted that the entire administrative and legislative process in the EU might take up to 12 months.
In contrast, Indonesia is projected to ratify the IEU-CEPA in a shorter period, with the House of Representatives (DPR) expected to complete the process between the second and fourth quarters of next year, he continued.
He further stated that the economic pact could take effect in the first quarter of 2027, provided that all procedures run as expected.
The IEU-CEPA was launched in 2016 under former President Joko Widodo, and the completion of talks was announced by President Prabowo Subianto and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Belgium in July 2024.
Minister Hartarto stressed that the trade agreement reflects the Indonesian government’s strategy to expand market access amid tariff barriers and global economic uncertainties. Alongside international expansion, he also highlighted the government’s commitment to strengthening domestic production and consumption through strategic policies.
According to Witjaksono, the agreement will open up new trade and investment opportunities for both the EU and Indonesia. The IEU-CEPA covers market access for goods, with both sides committing to eliminate tariffs on 98% of all tariffed products and 99% of total import value.
Indonesia’s key export items, such as textiles and palm oil, will enjoy significant advantages in accessing the European market.
- Read More
Vietnam lifts asset freeze on ex-FLC chairman Trinh Van Quyet
Authorities in Vietnam’s central province of Khanh Hoa are moving to lift restrictions on asset transactions and transfers linked to Trinh Van Quyet, former chairman of property developer FLC Group, the provincial Department of Justice said on Tuesday.
Economy - Tue, September 9, 2025 | 9:26 pm GMT+7
Abbott-backed medical firm Domesco to pay 25% cash dividend
Domesco Medical Import Export JSC (HoSE: DMC) will distribute a 25% cash dividend for 2024, equivalent to VND2,500 (9.5 U.S. cents) per share.
Companies - Tue, September 9, 2025 | 8:39 pm GMT+7
Vietnam’s finance ministry proposes raising personal deduction to $588 per month
Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance has proposed raising the personal income tax deduction to VND15.5 million ($588) per month and the dependent deduction to VND6.2 million ($235).
Economy - Tue, September 9, 2025 | 4:09 pm GMT+7
PM urges prompt finalization of feasibility study for Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway project
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Sunday evening chaired a high-level meeting with key ministries and agencies to accelerate the implementation of the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway project, during which he stressed the need for prompt completion of the project’s feasibility study.
Economy - Tue, September 9, 2025 | 3:06 pm GMT+7
WB, ADB to provide over $12 bln to green projects in ASEAN
The World Bank has allocated $2.5 billion, while the Asian Development Bank has set aside $10 billion to support green projects in ASEAN, said Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
Southeast Asia - Tue, September 9, 2025 | 3:01 pm GMT+7
Central Vietnam province seeks investors for $42 mln wind power project
Vietnam’s central province of Quang Tri is seeking investors for the Hung Bac wind power project, with total investment estimated at VND1.1 trillion ($41.69 million), according to the provincial People’s Committee.
Energy - Tue, September 9, 2025 | 2:56 pm GMT+7
Vietnam's leading conglomerate Vingroup sues 68 entities, individuals for false information
Vingroup JSC (HoSE: VIC) on Monday reported to authorities, notified foreign embassies, and filed civil lawsuits against 68 organizations and individuals at home and abroad for spreading false information about the corporation online.
Companies - Tue, September 9, 2025 | 10:45 am GMT+7
Warburg Pincus unit, Masterise eye $739 mln expressway to Vietnam’s mega airport
A subsidiary of U.S. private equity firm Warburg Pincus and Vietnamese developer Masterise Group have separately proposed building an over VND19.52 trillion ($739 million) expressway connecting a major tourism area to the under-construction Long Thanh International Airport in the southern region.
Infrastructure - Tue, September 9, 2025 | 8:00 am GMT+7
Hoa Binh Construction wins $5 bln contract for mega urban project in southern Vietnam
Vietnam's leading contractor Hoa Binh Construction Group has secured a contract to build the first phase of a mega urban area project in Vietnam’s southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City.
Real Estate - Mon, September 8, 2025 | 9:22 pm GMT+7
Vietnam's monetary policy remains accommodative: WB
Vietnam's monetary policy has remained accommodative, as State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) interventions contained foreign exchange pressures and increased credit growth, the World Bank Group said in its country economic update.
Economy - Mon, September 8, 2025 | 7:46 pm GMT+7
Property, technology, energy among sectors recording highest M&A activity in Vietnam
Vietnam’s M&A landscape in July recorded 34 completed transactions with the total disclosed and estimated deal value of $786 million, according to Grant Thornton Vietnam.
Economy - Mon, September 8, 2025 | 3:49 pm GMT+7
Vietnam's Van Thinh Phat-tied firm incurs $14 mln loss in H1 as legal woes persist
Bong Sen Corp, the hotel and property arm of troubled Van Thinh Phat Group, posted a net loss of nearly VND356 billion ($14 million) in the first half of 2025, its filing to the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX) showed.
Companies - Mon, September 8, 2025 | 3:24 pm GMT+7
Airport-centric urbanization - Vietnam’s new growth engine
In the past, cities in Vietnam would build airports to meet growing transportation needs, but today, airports themselves are becoming the nucleus around which new urban areas emerge.
Real Estate - Mon, September 8, 2025 | 1:36 pm GMT+7
Vietnam’s 8.3-8.5% growth target for 2025 ‘appropriate’: policy advisory council
The Vietnamese government’s GDP growth target of 8.3-8.5% for 2025 and double-digit expansion for 2026-2030 is "appropriate" in the context of favorable macroeconomic conditions and structural reforms, according to the Prime Minister’s Policy Advisory Council.
Economy - Mon, September 8, 2025 | 1:03 pm GMT+7
Enertrag SE proposes 55 MW wind power project in northern Vietnam
The Bac Ninh province People’s Committee is seeking public and ministerial feedback on a 55 MW wind power plant initiated by Enertrag Vietnam Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of German-based global renewables developer Enertrag SE.
Energy - Mon, September 8, 2025 | 11:29 am GMT+7
Southern Vietnam airport project Long Thanh on fast track, test flights set for December
Construction of the Long Thanh International Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai is progressing on schedule, with calibration flights for Runway 1 planned for September 25 and a technical test flight expected on December 19.
Infrastructure - Mon, September 8, 2025 | 11:13 am GMT+7
