Airlangga Opens Canadian Investment Opportunities Through ICA-CEPA Implementation
The Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, has expressed appreciation for the Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) as a bridge for building stronger business relations between Canadian companies and ASEAN nations. This was stated during the CABC Executive Dialogue held alongside the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto, Canada, on Monday (14/9).
The CABC Executive Dialogue serves as a forum designed to strengthen connections between business actors, investors, and governments from the ASEAN region and Canada.
“Indonesia offers a market for Canadian and ASEAN investors that is not only large, but stable and disciplined in managing its growth,” Airlangga stated in a written release on Thursday (17/9/2026).
Airlangga subsequently urged the CABC to capitalise on the momentum leading towards the implementation of the ICA-CEPA. The agreement was signed by the respective Ministers of Trade and witnessed by both Heads of State in Ottawa in 2025.
The ICA-CEPA represents Canada’s first bilateral trade agreement with an ASEAN member state, as well as Indonesia’s first comprehensive economic partnership with the North American region.
“The ICA-CEPA is the right instrument at the right time,” Airlangga emphasised.
Under the agreement, Canada will eliminate or reduce tariffs on more than 90% of Indonesian product tariff lines. Meanwhile, Indonesia will perform a similar reduction for nearly 86% of Canadian product tariff lines.
This cooperation also opens opportunities in several complementary sectors, including critical mineral downstreaming—specifically nickel and battery materials—clean and renewable energy, agri-food, sustainable fisheries, infrastructure, as well as financial and digital services.
Airlangga invited investors and business actors to further explore these sectors, asserting that the Indonesian Government is actively developing a framework to support them.
Currently, the ICA-CEPA has been ratified by both countries and is entering further technical discussions, including matters related to rules of origin.
Furthermore, Airlangga emphasised that dialogues with business actors are crucial, as they will be the spearhead in realising the concrete benefits of the ICA-CEPA once the agreement becomes effective; therefore, business readiness must be built early.
“Today’s dialogue is important because, ultimately, business actors such as CABC members will be the ones to realise the ICA-CEPA. I encourage this forum to become a platform for two-way idea exchange, and I also hope that the input obtained today can be translated into concrete follow-up actions,” said Airlangga.
As part of the event series, Airlangga also delivered a speech at the CABC Reception alongside Canada’s Minister of International Trade, The Honourable Mélanie Joly, to invite more Canadian investment into Indonesia across various strategic sectors, ranging from critical minerals and energy transition to food security and AI.
Airlangga also met with the CEO of AtkinsRealis, Ian L. Edwards, to discuss developments in nuclear energy cooperation, and with the CEO of Sun Life, Kevin D. Strain, to strengthen Indonesia-Canada cooperation in the financial sector.
The forum was attended by Canada’s Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, Brunei Darussalam’s Deputy Finance Minister Dato Dr. Amin Liew Abdullah, President of the Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) Wayne Farmer, as well as business and investment leaders from the ASEAN and Canadian regions.
Accompanying Airlangga from the Indonesian delegation were the Indonesian Ambassador to Canada Muhsin Syihab, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs’ Secretary Susiwijono Moegiarso, Deputy for Economic Cooperation and Investment Coordination Edi Prio Pambudi, and the Indonesian Consul General in Toronto Vevie Damayanti.