Stakeholder debrief report – Canada-Indonesia CEPA negotiations – Round 9

September 23-27, 2024 (Toronto, ON)

General overview

The 9^th round of negotiations toward a Canada-Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) took place from September 23-27 in Toronto, Ontario.

The Canadian delegation was led by Chief Negotiator (CN) Aaron Fowler, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister and Deputy Chief Trade Commissioner, International Trade, Global Affairs Canada and supported by Deputy CN Alisha Somerville, Deputy Director, Indo-Pacific Trade Policy Division, International Trade, Global Affairs Canada. Indonesia’s delegation was led by CN, Mr. Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono, Director General of International Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia and supported by Deputy CN Mr. Johni Martha, Director of Bilateral Negotiations, Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia.

Round 9 negotiations covered 21 issue areas. 43 negotiating sessions took place in-person in Toronto, 12 sessions took place in-person in Jakarta, Indonesia (on the margins of an ASEAN meeting), and 18 sessions were held virtually.

The following issues were discussed:

• National Treatment and Market Access for Goods
• Rules of Origin (virtual)
• Origin Procedures (virtual)
• Technical Barriers to Trade (virtual)
• Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
• Trade in Services
• Financial Services
• Investment
• Electronic Commerce
• Intellectual Property
• Temporary Movement of Natural Persons
• Government Procurement
• Economic and Technical Cooperation (virtual)
• Environment (in Jakarta, Indonesia)
• Labour (in Jakarta, Indonesia)
• Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment (in Jakarta, Indonesia)
• Trade and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (in Jakarta, Indonesia)
• Dispute Settlement (virtual)
• State Owned Enterprises
• Trade Remedies
• Critical Minerals

Key takeaways

The tone at Round 9 was positive, with constructive engagement across all tables.

Four chapters/issues were substantively closed:  

• Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
• Economic and Technical Cooperation
• Trade and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
• Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment

Bringing the total number of chapters/issues that are substantively closed to 12:

• Administrative and Institutional Provisions
• Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation
• Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
• Temporary Movement of Natural Persons (text only)
• Telecommunications
• Competition Policy
• Good Regulatory Practices
• Economic and Technical Cooperation
• Trade and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
• Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment
• Transparency, Anti-Corruption and Responsible Business Conduct
• Final Provisions

The 10^th round of negotiations will take place in Indonesia the week of November 4, 2024.

Both sides will continue to work toward a successful conclusion this year.

Key developments

Parties discussed Indonesia’s latest tariff offer and made progress on a few remaining provisions of the National Treatment and Market Access text, including on agricultural trade.

Several other goods-related negotiating tables made solid progress, including Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (which is now closed), Technical Barriers to Trade, and Origin Procedures. On Rules of Origin, Parties agreed on multiple provisions in the chapter text and advanced the negotiations on product-specific rules of origin, including on agriculture and fish subheadings and industrial subheadings.

On Trade in Services, Financial Services, and Investment, Parties advanced text-based negotiations and had a productive joint session to discuss initial offers on services and investment non-conforming measures. Parties presented their respective initial offers and exchanged clarifying questions. Parties agreed to exchange initial market access requests and revised offers in advance of Round 10.

On Temporary Movement of Natural Persons, Parties discussed the revised market access offers and agreed to exchange questions and answers on these offers in advance of Round 10.

Intellectual Property, Electronic Commerce, Government Procurement, and Dispute Settlement negotiating tables continued to make steady progress, closing several articles of the respective chapters.

Productive discussions were also held on State-Owned Enterprises and Trade Remedies, with Parties committing to discuss these issues further.

One session was held on Critical Minerals to advance discussions on possible cooperation between Canada and Indonesia.

On the margin of ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement negotiations in Jakarta, Indonesia, Parties exchanged in productive text-based negotiations on Labour, Environment, Trade and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (which is now closed), and Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment (which is now closed).

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Trade Negotiations Division (TCD)
Global Affairs Canada
Lester B. Pearson Building
125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2
Fax: 613-944-0757
Email: consultations@international.gc.ca