Indonesia Hopes for Completion of ASEAN-Canada FTA in 2026
Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: Indonesian Trade Minister Budi Santoso expressed optimism that negotiations for the ASEAN–Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will be finalized in 2026, aiming to expand market access, drive innovation, and enhance supply chain connectivity across the region.
The statement was made during the ASEAN Joint Foreign and Economic Ministers Meeting, held on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“ASEAN is currently negotiating the ASEAN–Canada FTA, and Indonesia expects the process can be finalized in 2026,” Minister Santoso said in a press release on Sunday.
He highlighted the importance of exploring additional partnerships with strategic partners such as the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to further strengthen regional economic diversification.
Minister Santoso also emphasized that deepening and expanding economic partnerships through accession processes would complement the benefits of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a milestone initiative promoting regional economic integration and inclusive, sustainable, and competitive growth in the Asia-Pacific.
He underlined the need to modernize ASEAN Plus One FTAs and strengthen cross-pillar coordination between economic and security sectors to respond effectively to global geoeconomic and geopolitical dynamics.
“This coordination ensures ASEAN remains responsive, adaptive, and proactive amid increasingly complex global dynamics,” he added.
The meeting also welcomed the release of the 2025 ASEAN Geoeconomics Report (AGR) by the ASEAN Geoeconomics Task Force (AGTF), which provides analysis and recommendations to enhance collective economic resilience in the region. Indonesia played an active role in contributing to the report, reflecting shared understanding among ASEAN member states to maintain an open and outward-oriented economic environment.
