Indonesia One Step Closer to Joining CPTPP, Airlangga Targets Accession Completion by 2027
Indonesia is moving closer to joining the largest free trade bloc in the Asia-Pacific region, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The effort is seen as a way to open wider market access for national export products while attracting more foreign investment into the country.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said Indonesia’s accession process to the CPTPP continues to show progress. Most recently, CPTPP Ministers at the 10th CPTPP Commission Meeting on 26 June 2026 agreed to commence preparation discussions for Indonesia, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates. This stage serves as the gateway before the establishment of an Accession Working Group, a crucial step towards full CPTPP membership.
“The CPTPP is a trade agreement between economies. The provisions in the CPTPP have generally been agreed upon by us in various international agreements such as within the WTO, RCEP, ASEAN frameworks, and the OECD accession process. Therefore, we only need a few adjustments to laws and regulations to fulfil the commitments in the CPTPP,” Airlangga said in an official statement. The government is targeting Indonesia to become a full member of the CPTPP by 2027.
The CPTPP is a high-standard free trade agreement currently comprising 12 member countries, including Japan, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Mexico. Collectively, CPTPP member countries represent approximately 15 per cent of global gross domestic product with a total market of nearly 600 million people. For Indonesia, joining the CPTPP is believed to expand export market access, increase trade and investment flows, and strengthen the country’s position in regional and global supply chains. To date, the government has aligned domestic regulations with 22 chapters of the CPTPP provisions. Indonesia also submitted the aspirant country questionnaire to the New Zealand Government as the depository country in May 2025.
In the accession process, Indonesia has received support from several CPTPP member countries, including the United Kingdom. This support was reinforced through the signing of the Indonesia-United Kingdom Economic Growth Partnership in January 2026 between Airlangga Hartarto and UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle. “This strategic economic cooperation document is a tangible manifestation of the commitment of both countries to building inclusive, sustainable, and mutually beneficial economic growth,” Airlangga said. Beyond supporting CPTPP accession, Indonesia-UK cooperation also covers the clean energy sector, semiconductors, higher education, the digital economy, and human resource development.
The government believes CPTPP membership will provide various economic benefits for Indonesia. In addition to opening new market access through reduced tariff barriers, the CPTPP can also help Indonesian exporters diversify markets amid global trade uncertainty. Businesses are also expected to benefit from simpler customs procedures, more modern digital trade rules, investment protection, and easier supply chain integration through rules of origin schemes among member countries. For consumers, CPTPP membership has the potential to present a wider variety of product choices at more competitive prices.
Airlangga emphasised that this accession process is also aligned with the economic reform agenda of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, including regulatory simplification and enhancing national business competitiveness, particularly for micro, small, and medium enterprises. “Indonesia is not the first country in ASEAN, as Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore are already CPTPP member economies. Of course, we hope that as the largest economy in ASEAN and the only G20 country in ASEAN, CPTPP membership in the Indo-Pacific will strengthen Indonesia’s position,” Airlangga concluded.