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[Press Release] CABC and IBC to Turn Indonesia-Canada Trade Pact Into Business Gains

  • Jun 23
  • 3 min read



Press release



Jakarta, Indonesia - June 22, 2026 - The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the Indonesian Business Council (IBC) have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen business cooperation between Indonesia and Canada, as both countries look to translate growing diplomatic and trade momentum into concrete private sector opportunities on June 22, 2026.


The partnership focuses on commerce, trade and investment promotion, including information exchange, business missions, trade fairs, conferences and visits by business leaders. It also identifies priority areas for cooperation, including two-way trade and investment under the Indonesia-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, critical minerals, clean energy, food security and the electric vehicle ecosystem.


The MoU was signed by IBC Chief Executive Officer Sofyan Djalil and CABC Managing Director Anthony Cheng in the presence of Assistant Deputy Minister for the Indo-Pacific at Global Affairs Canada Weldon Epp, Ambassador of Canada to the Republic of Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste H.E. Jess Dutton, and Ambassador of Canada to ASEAN H.E. Ambra Dickie, underscoring the support of both governments in deepening the partnership.


Assistant Deputy Minister for the Indo-Pacific at Global Affairs Canada, Weldon Epp, said the agreement came at an important time, as businesses and governments seek areas of certainty amid global volatility. “I noted IBC’s Three C’s framework, Certainty, Capability and Capital, and the focus on certainty is very much a priority for us as well. Canada is a vital partner for an economy like Indonesia in providing that economic certainty and I welcome the collaboration between IBC and CABC as an important platform to translate this shared priority into practical business outcomes,” Epp said.


Managing Director of CABC, Anthony Cheng, said that Indonesia is a key strategic partner for Canada as Southeast Asia’s largest economy and its first CEPA partner in the region, providing a natural gateway for deepening Canada’s engagement in ASEAN. Today’s MoU between CABC and IBC is intended to translate this momentum into concrete collaboration between Canadian and Indonesian businesses.


Chief Executive Officer of the Indonesian Business Council, Sofyan Djalil, said the meeting and MoU should serve as a platform to deepen productive cooperation between the two business councils and support a broader economic relationship between Indonesia and Canada. “I sincerely hope this visit will further strengthen productive cooperation between IBC and CABC, and more broadly deepen the economic relationship between Canada and Indonesia,” Sofyan said.


Through the MoU, IBC and CABC are expected to build a stronger bridge between Indonesian and Canadian businesses, helping identify priority sectors, unlock investment opportunities and support the implementation of CEPA in ways that deliver tangible benefits for both economies.



For more information on the Canada-ASEAN Business Council and its initiatives, please visit www.canasean.com or contact:


Palm Nakpontong, Associate Director

Canada-ASEAN Business Council

M. +66 924169266


About the Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC)


Established in 2012, the Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) is the pre-eminent organization with an ASEAN region-wide mandate to promote and increase trade relations between Canada and ASEAN headquartered in Singapore with a representative office in Montreal, Canada. The CABC was founded in 2012 by Canadian private sector companies operating in ASEAN, at the request of Canada’s Minister of International Trade through Global Affairs Canada, at the first ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM)-Canada Consultation in Cambodia.


As the voice of the Canadian private sector in ASEAN, the CABC represents the interests of over 70 leading businesses and organizations, demonstrating the diverse strengths of Canadian businesses and the range of commercial opportunities available in the region. To foster stronger Canada-ASEAN business and investment ties through policy advocacy, networking events, and research initiatives.





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