Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Pakistan and Indonesia Form Joint Trade Committee to Advance CEPA Talks

Pakistan’s reliance on Indonesian palm oil underscores urgency for broader market access and structured negotiations.

Overview

  • An MoU creating the Indonesia–Pakistan Joint Trade Committee was signed in Karachi after talks led by Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Indonesian Vice Minister Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri.
  • Both governments committed to pursue an upgrade from the current PTA toward a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement that extends cooperation into services, including healthcare.
  • The new body will steer technical negotiations on tariffs, import quotas and certification while converting government pledges into business-to-business outcomes, including a planned Pakistan exhibition and forum in Jakarta.
  • Pakistan’s Trade Development Authority sought early fruit quota announcements, rice quota notification, rationalised export certifications and improved access for industrial-grade potatoes.
  • Indonesia supplies over 74% of Pakistan’s edible-oil needs and Pakistan’s palm oil demand has risen by about 22%, highlighting the priority on supply security within the talks.