Reveal Jakarta: a free trade regime with Indonesia may work in 2026.
The free trade agreement between the EAEU and Indonesia can be ratified and enter into force as early as 2026, Izvestia found out. The relevant departments of the Union countries are working on this, the Eurasian Economic Commission reported. Customs duties in the framework of bilateral trade will fall from an average of 10.2% to 2%, and trade turnover will double, experts predict. Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia, and the agreement will simplify access to its market for food, fertilizers, and metallurgical products. Russia is also one of the main candidates for the construction of the country's first nuclear power plant, as well as low-power power units. Rosatom is actively working with the relevant national agency, the Ministry and state-owned companies of Indonesia.
What will the FTA agreement with Indonesia give the EAEU countries?
Indonesia and the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) will ratify a free trade agreement in 2026, Mikhail Cherekaev, Deputy director of the Trade Policy Department of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), told Izvestia. This is the last condition for its entry into force. Negotiations on this document began back in 2022. On December 21, 2025, in St. Petersburg, the EAEU countries (Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) and Indonesia signed it.
— The parties to the deal are interested in the early entry into force of the agreement and the launch of a free trade regime. The responsible departments of the countries of our Union are actively carrying out the national procedures necessary for the ratification of the document," Mikhail Cherekaev noted. — At the same time, the specific dates of completion of the ratification will depend on the work schedule of the parliaments of the EAEU member states.
There is every chance to complete the ratification of the treaty as early as 2026, said Alexander Korolev, Deputy Director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics. The same term was previously mentioned by Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk. The Indonesian side is more cautious about the beginning of 2027.
The Russian government supported the ratification of this agreement on April 21, 2026. In the same month, it was ratified by the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Belarus.
After the agreement enters into force, import duties will be reduced, trade rules will become simpler, and the EAEU countries will receive preferential access to about 90% of Indonesian goods. The EEC named food products among them, including dried vegetables (chickpeas, beans, peas), canned meat, and powdered milk. In addition, we are talking about industrial goods.
"These are certain types of fertilizers, finished plastic products, products of timber processing and metallurgical complexes, refrigerators, DC motors, transformers, conductors, and certain types of agricultural machinery," the EEC emphasized.
The free trade agreement with Indonesia is important because it is the largest economy in Southeast Asia, a market of 280 million people with a steady growth forecast of 4.7% annually, said Yaroslav Klimov, an assistant at the Department of Humanities at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation. According to him, the weighted average import rate for EAEU goods will fall five times — from 10.2% to 2%, and trade turnover will double.
However, the expert warned about the risks. According to him, cheaper Indonesian goods can create pressure on manufacturers of food, textiles, electronics and other consumer segments. The potential sensitivity of neutral Jakarta to Western sanctions pressure remains a critical factor.
Even with the reduction of duties, non-tariff barriers, logistical costs and difficulties in entering a new market will remain, said Galina Platunina, Deputy Head of the Department of Digital Economy, Management and Business Technologies at MTUCI. In her opinion, the FTA with Indonesia is an economic opportunity, but not an automatic benefit: for one part of the industries it is a window of growth, for the other — the risk of increased competition with imports.
Development of relations between Russia and Indonesia
The agreement will allow Russia to expand exports and strengthen its position in Asia. Moscow is interested in supplying fertilizers, and by reducing tariffs it is possible to increase supplies to Indonesia, said Alexander Korolev from the National Research University Higher School of Economics. According to him, wheat is the most profitable product for export from Russia. Indonesia is one of its largest importers. In addition, Jakarta is interested in purchasing rye, oats, beef, metallurgical and timber products, as well as certain energy resources, such as coal, Korolev added.
Energy issues have become an important driver of relations between Russia and Indonesia in recent years. The Russian Federation is one of the main candidates for the construction of the country's first nuclear power plant, as well as low—power power units. The Rosatom State Corporation told Izvestia that the company is actively sharing its experience with colleagues responsible for the development of the energy industry. Interaction takes place with the National Agency for Research and Innovation, the Ministry of Energy, the state electric power company PT PLN and other authorities.
"The construction of nuclear power plants may become an infrastructure project of national importance for Indonesia, aimed at providing the country with a reliable basic source of low—carbon electricity," Rosatom noted. — Our proposal provides for the implementation of low-capacity projects, including the use of floating power units, at the first stage, and the parallel start of the implementation of high-capacity NPP projects.
Back in 2025, Vladimir Putin confirmed Russia's readiness to develop Indonesia's nuclear power industry. The last meeting of the leaders of the two countries took place on April 13, 2026. Vladimir Putin and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto discussed strengthening ties in the context of Indonesia's accession to the BRICS. Earlier, in 2025, at the SPIEF in St. Petersburg, Putin and Subianto approved a declaration on strategic partnership.
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