The Indonesian Footwear Association (Aprisindo) is urging the government to expedite the completion of the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA), which has been delayed for nine years. According to Aprisindo Chairman Eddy Widjanarko, finalizing the agreement is essential to open up alternative markets and reduce import duties on Indonesian footwear in 27 EU countries. He emphasized that competitor nations like Vietnam and Bangladesh already benefit from similar trade deals, putting Indonesia at a competitive disadvantage. The IEU-CEPA is seen as a strategic move to diversify export destinations and cushion the impact of rising trade barriers, especially from the United States. This push comes in response to a new executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump, imposing additional import tariffs—32% specifically for Indonesian products—effective April 9, 2025. Although the U.S. remains Indonesia's largest footwear export market, with export values fluctuating from a high of US$2.6 billion in 2022 to US$2.3 billion in 2024 after a dip in 2023, the new tariffs pose a significant threat to the industry. Aprisindo is calling for a dual strategy: accelerating IEU-CEPA negotiations to tap into the EU market and deploying a high-level, credible delegation to Washington D.C. to negotiate and mitigate the impact of the U.S. tariffs.Source: https://ekonomi.bisnis.com/read/20250405/257/1866783/produsen-sepatu-desak-penyelesaian-ieu-cepa-untuk-redam-efek-tarif-trump (ICE GIACARTA)

Fonte notizia: Bisnis.com, 7 April 2025