Ottawa, ON (Rural Roots Canada) – Canada’s beef and pork producers are getting a big boost with new access to Indonesia’s rapidly growing market.
The expanded market access comes following a 2025 ministerial trade mission and the signing of the Canada-Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). An audit by the Indonesia Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services confirmed that Canadian meat products meet Indonesia’s food safety and import standards.
The expansion allows Canadian exporters to ship over-thirty-month bone-in beef, beef offal, and, for the first time, pork and pork products to Indonesia. More Canadian processing facilities have also been approved to export, strengthening Canada’s position in one of the Indo-Pacific’s fastest-growing markets.
Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald says the expansion supports ongoing efforts to diversify agri-food exports.
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“This new opportunity is a testament to Canada’s leadership in food safety and animal health and the strength of our science-based regulatory system,” said MacDonald, in a statement. “I look forward to the continued work of both countries to establish science-based animal health requirements for the trade of Canadian red meat.”
Industry groups are welcoming the move, including the Canadian Cattle Association, the Canadian Meat Council, and the Canadian Pork Council, which says the agreement opens a crucial new market for pork producers.
“We recently travelled to Indonesia with the minister, and a market of almost 300 million people is obviously an important one for Canadian producers,” said René Roy, Chair of the Canadian Pork Council. “That’s why this step in diversifying Canada’s pork export markets is so crucial as we continue to deliver the world’s best pork to more consumers globally and domestically. ”
Indonesia imported more than a billion dollars in beef last year. It’s Canada’s 6th-largest agri-food and seafood export market and largest among ASEAN members, valued at $1.2 billion in 2024.
