Jakarta: The Indonesian government has identified several key business sectors attracting interest from European Union investors ahead of the full implementation of the Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA). Speaking at a press conference in Jakarta on Friday, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto highlighted targeted areas including new and renewable energy (NRE), the digital industry, agriculture, and electric vehicle (EV) downstreaming.
According to Emirates News Agency, the government aims to optimize these sectors as the trade agreement prepares to come into effect, with implementation targeted for 2027. Bilateral trade between Indonesia and the 27-nation bloc reached US$31.9 billion in 2025, supported by US$13.6 billion in cumulative EU foreign direct investment into Indonesia over the past five years. Officials anticipate the finalized trade framework will significantly build on these figures.
In a separate statement, Chairperson of the Indonesian Employers' Association (APINDO) Shinta Widjaja Kamdani noted that fisheries, agriculture, and healthcare also present strong potential to draw European capital. Shinta emphasized that the implementation of the IEU-CEPA is expected to drive fresh investment and infrastructure development, provided that domestic business conditions remain conducive. "Our hope is that we can increase their investment here, whether they're building infrastructure or anything else. This is perhaps the real issue we need to look at in terms of the project pipeline in Indonesia," Shinta explained.