According to reporting from Antara News, Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Trade, Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri, and Secretary General of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Kurt Jager, discussed optimizing the utilization of the Indonesia–EFTA Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Indonesia–EFTA/IE CEPA) in addition to increasing market access for exports of Indonesia’s superior products to EFTA member countries.
Putri said Indonesia is committed to boosting the utilization rate of the IE CEPA by exploring various ways to make it easier for businesses, including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), to access its facilities.
“Indonesia is also encouraging the acceleration of the realization of tariff rate quota (TRQ) commitments, especially for palm oil products and their derivatives, through recognition of the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) standard,” Putri said in a statement on Friday (19/9/25).
In the meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday (17/9/25), Putri also highlighted opportunities to increase exports of MSME products, such as coffee, cocoa, and furniture to EFTA member countries, says Antara News.
She also appreciated the various capacity-building programs implemented to support the implementation of the IE CEPA and encouraged the expansion of similar collaborations to provide greater benefits for both parties and business actors.
She also conveyed plans to develop a more comprehensive information portal that would integrate data from Indonesian businesses and EFTA member countries.
“Currently, Indonesia has INATRADE and the FTA Center, but we see the need for a more comprehensive platform to make it easier for businesses to find trading partners and take advantage of IE CEPA facilities,” she said.
On the same occasion, Jager explained that discussions on trade promotion and optimization of the IE CEPA utilization rate could be facilitated through the Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) and seminars on trade promotion, says Antara News.
Jager stated that efforts to optimize the utilization of the IE CEPA could be focused on specific sectors, such as textiles and footwear. Furthermore, Indonesia needs to understand the supply chain flow as a whole.
He also responded to the increasing opportunities for coffee exports for Indonesian MSMEs to EFTA member countries.
Jager said that Indonesia needs to understand market needs and determine the right time to promote these products. Kurt also encouraged Indonesia to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) to open up new business sectors.
He believes that this step needs to be accompanied by a proper understanding of the products and sectors needed by the EFTA market.
EFTA is a free trade association consisting of four European countries, namely Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
This association focuses on economic integration and free trade for its member countries, as well as with partner countries such as Indonesia.
Source: Antara News
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