Indonesia, South Korea Officially Implement IK-CEPA
Indonesia-Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IK- CEPA) is officially implemented as of January 1st 2023. The implementation marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Indonesia and South Korea, which reflects special strategic partnership between the two countries which has been established since 2017.
The agreement also serves as a timely moment to strengthen economic partnership particularly in trade and investment.
Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan Tuesday (01/03) expressed his optimism over the implementation of IK-CEPA since the agreement will open wider opportunity for Indonesia’s and South Korea’s trade relations through eliminating tariffs on import duties on trade in goods, increasing opportunities for trade in services, increasing investment opportunities, and increasing economic cooperation programs and human resource development.
He also mentioned several benefits of the agreement for Indonesia, as follows.
First, access for Indonesia to export goods to South Korea will be more open. Through IK-CEPA, South Korea will provide an ease in import duty tariffs by eliminating 11,267 tariff posts. There are several products that have better access to South Korean market, such as bicycle, motorbikes, motor vehicle accessories, processed fish products, salak (snake fruit), and textile products such as socks.
Second, access for trade in services will be more open. The IK-CEPA will open more than 100 service subsectors with foreign investment ranging from 49 percent to 100 percent. In addition, IK-CEPA will facilitate the mobility intra-corporate transferees, business visitors, and independent professionals.
Third, opportunity to long-term investment will increase. IK-CEPA will encourage South Korean investment to enter Indonesia. South Korea has so far shown its determination to invest in Indonesia, particularly in the automotive, metal, chemical and renewable energy sectors.
Fourth, there will be more opportunities to have cooperation in economic and human resource sectors. Through IK-CEPA, Indonesia will implement program on economic cooperation which will improve capacity of human resources. There are several programs proposed in the IK-CEPA economic cooperation, namely the industrial sector; agriculture, fisheries, and forestry sectors; facilitative trading rules and procedures; mobility of individuals; and the likes.
“All of the benefits will support each other and this is the essence of IK-CEPA. The agreement is not only about export of goods and services, but also efforts to promote economic competitiveness and improve the quality of Indonesian human resources,” he said.
For the record, IK-CEPA was signed by the Indonesian and South Korean Governments on December 18th, 2020 in Seoul, South Korea.
In the period between January and October 2022, the total trade value between Indonesia and South Korea was recorded at US$20.6 billion or increased by 40.36 percent from that of the same period last year, which was recorded at US$14.6 billion. In the same period, Indonesia’s exports to South Korea were recorded at US$10.6 billion while imports from South Korea were recorded at US$9.9 billion; Indonesia is in a surplus of US$712.3 million.
Meanwhile, in 2021 the total trade value between the two countries was recorded at US$18.41 billion. In the same period, Indonesia’s exports to South Korea were recorded at US$8.98 billion, while Indonesia’s imports from South Korea were recorded at US$9.43 billion. (UN)(RAS/MUR)
