The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is Australia's largest trade and investment partner in the Middle East. Two-way trade between Australia and the UAE was worth $9.9 billion in 2023.
On 6 November 2024 Australia and the UAE signed the Australia-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), a bilateral free trade agreement that will lay the groundwork for closer economic ties.
This agreement will result in estimated tariff savings of $135 million in the first year, which is predicted to rise to $160 million per year once the agreement is fully implemented.
When fully implemented, CEPA will eliminate tariffs on over 99% of Australia's goods exports to the UAE. Most tariffs will be eliminated or locked in at zero on entry into force, with others eliminated over 3 or 5 stages for:
Most tariffs will be eliminated or locked in at zero on entry into force, with others eliminated over 3 or 5 stages for:
CEPA will create greater certainty for Australian services providers in over 120 sectors and sub-sectors. This will include professional services, financial services and education wanting to do business in the UAE.
CEPA will support and promote two-way productive foreign direct investment covering the following priority sectors:
Other key benefits of CEPA are included in the following chapters:
We can help you understand specific market opportunities for your products or services. We can also provide a range of in-market and Australian-based services for:
Email: dubai@austrade.gov.au
Learn more about Doing business in the United Arab Emirates.
For detailed information, visit the Australia-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) page on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.
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