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Jakarta (March 7, 2021) – Following today’s approval by Swiss voters of the Indonesia – European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IE-CEPA), the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gabungan Pengusaha Kelapa Sawit Indonesia, GAPKI) issued the following statement: “We are grateful for the outcome of today’s vote. The trade deal is a win-win for the palm

The Swiss Federal Council has urged voters to support the Indonesia-EFTA Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IE-CEPA) ahead of a national referendum on the trade agreement. The Federal Council is Switzerland’s highest level of federal government. Its endorsement of the IE-CEPA states that “A rejection of this agreement would be a missed opportunity not only for

Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) has made its submission to the EU Forests Regulation public consultation on reducing deforestation and forest degradation. As background, the European Commission is proposing a Due Diligence regulation to tackle deforestation / forest degradation with the aim to prevent European imports and consumption ‘causing’ deforestation, particularly from tropical forests. To

This week’s ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting (AEMM) resulted in a new path for the palm oil trade between the two economic blocs heralding an end to discrimination and opening the importance of addressing the challenge of sustainability within the vegetable oil sector and most importantly, addressing environmental issues from a holistic point of view, to embrace

The UK Government has now finalized its proposal for the Due Diligence law that has been under discussion for several months. The law will significantly affect Indonesian palm oil exporters, as palm oil has been identified as one of several commodities that will be targeted, along with soy, coffee, timber, and others. The UK government’s

The UK’s proposed Due Diligence Regulation has re-kindled the idea of a VPA-FLEGT arrangement for palm oil. Is such an arrangement possible? As we’ve discussed previously, the VPA (Voluntary Partnership Agreement) between Indonesia and the European Union was an arrangement that verified the legality of timber products leaving Indonesia and being sold in the EU.

This week, the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) submitted a formal response to the UK Government’s consultation on the planned Due Diligence regulation. In the official submission, the Indonesian palm oil community raises core principles that the UK Government must consider when drafting its Due Diligence regulation. Considering the importance of the palm oil community

The European Commission announced in mid-August its plans to revise the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) II, once again. This revision is widely expected to pave the way for additional non-tariff barriers against palm oil biofuel. The current RED trade barriers are the subject of an ongoing dispute at the WTO. While the European Union has

Last week, the Indonesian palm oil association has made a submission to the EU’s ongoing Trade Policy Review Consultation. Trade in palm oil is essential for the wellbeing of the Indonesian economy and for the welfare of millions of people across Indonesia. Indonesia’s commitment as the #1 Sustainable Choice for palm oil will support the

The UK’s proposal on due diligence for imported commodities has sparked a debate about where legality and sustainability cross over. For many Western importing nations, the legality of a product is not enough; sustainability is the more important measure. But definitions of what constitutes sustainability differ wildly depending on the inherent bias or experience of