JAKARTA: The latest press conference on free trade deal negotiations between Australia and Indonesia felt a lot like Groundhog Day.
Australian Trade Minister Steven Ciobo and Indonesian Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita proudly told the assembled media that Indonesia will reduce tariffs on imported Australian raw sugar and Australia will eliminate import duties on Indonesian herbicides and pesticides. Only problem is that’s what the two nation’s leaders had pledged to do way back in February. It does make it harder to believe the two countries will deliver the “high quality bilateral free trade agreement” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said they were committed to in February. Especially given the ministers on Wednesday said they hoped the deal would now be done in November – a month earlier than expected.