Creative Economy Ministry Strengthens Market Access for Creative Products in Canada

The Creative Economy Ministry is expanding market access for Indonesian creative products to Canada, a region with high purchasing power, through a hexahelix collaboration approach. Creative Economy Minister Teuku Riefky Harsya stated that bilateral relations between Indonesia and Canada have increasingly promising prospects, especially following President Prabowo Subianto’s visit, which opened opportunities for more comprehensive cooperation. “The Canadian market is actually still wide open for Indonesia, especially since creative economy players in Indonesia have extraordinary taste, talent, culture, creativity, and high dedication to the creative industry. Amidst these various challenges, the Creative Economy Ministry continues to strengthen collaboration through a hexahelix approach to expand market access for creative economy players,” Riefky said in a statement received in Jakarta on Saturday. He noted that the creative economy sector absorbed nearly 20 percent of the total national workforce in 2025. This achievement serves as important capital to leverage various international economic collaborations, including the Indonesia–Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (ICA CEPA), to enhance the competitiveness of Indonesian creative products in the global market. Indonesian Ambassador to Canada, Muhsin Syihab, stated that opportunities for developing Indonesia’s creative economy in Canada remain wide open. He mentioned that 97,000 Canadian tourists visited Indonesia, a figure that can still be increased. Beyond major cities like Toronto, regions such as Quebec also hold significant potential due to a growing creative industry ecosystem and high purchasing power. “Quebec could become a hub for Indonesian fashion development. Additionally, we continue to introduce various Nusantara cuisines through food festivals in Toronto. We hope to collaborate with Indonesian creative economy players and various companies in Canada,” Muhsin said. The Creative Economy Ministry and the Indonesian Embassy in Ottawa are committed to strengthening synergy in opening promotional opportunities, investment, and business networks for Indonesian creative economy players. This step is expected to expand the penetration of national creative products into international markets while increasing added value for creative business players.