Australia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have ended negotiations for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA). Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade made the announcement on 17 September 2024.
On 13 December 2023, Australia and the UAE announced that they were negotiating a CEPA, a bilateral free trade agreement that will lay the groundwork for closer economic ties.
The UAE is Australia’s largest trade and investment partner in the Middle East. In 2023, bilateral trade between the two countries was worth AUD 9.9 billion, and bilateral investment was worth AUD 20.6 billion.
With plans to sign by the end of 2024, both nations are presently working to finalise the treaty text. The agreement will enter into force once signed, approved and ratified.
