LIMA — Canada has concluded trade negotiations with Indonesia, paving the way to sign a deal with the world’s fourth-most populous country next year.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the news alongside Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
Trudeau’s office says both sides must iron out some of the technical details of the agreement, but it should be signed by next year.
The prime minister has also announced a new focus on exporting Canadian nuclear energy, and co-operation across the Indo-Pacific region.
Trudeau says the Indonesia deal will include goods, services and investment as well as standards for small business, labour, the environment and gender.
Indonesia has a soaring economy, buoyed by a population of 280 million, of which young people make up a large portion.
The country has asked for Canada’s help over the past two years to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, with Indonesians grappling with high carbon emissions and threatened biodiversity.
Subianto said the deal with Canada will allow greater trade in the digital and renewable energy sectors.
“We are blessed with possibilities,” he said. “We have a lot of energy outside of the fossil fuels, so we are very confident.”
Trudeau called Indonesia “the most important economy in Southeast Asia” and a place where Ottawa could collaborate on nuclear technology. Canada is planning to send a trade mission to Indonesia next year.
Also on Tuesday, Trudeau told corporate leaders that Canada was looking to partner on nuclear energy in Southeast Asia, particularly as countries in the region raise concerns about the large amounts of energy needed to power artificial intelligence.
Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy made no direct mention of the nuclear sector when the Liberals released it two years ago.
But now, Trudeau says Canada will use its “trade gateway” initiative to not only link businesses but also help broaden local knowledge of nuclear technology, such as how to create a viable market for nuclear goods and adequately train personnel.
Ottawa will also “identify opportunities for Canada’s broader nuclear industry to supply products and services to support Canadian and regional objectives,” Trudeau’s office wrote in a statement.
His office said this might involve small modular reactors, a new technology that aims to provide low-carbon energy without building a large nuclear plant, including in remote areas.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2024.
Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press